Thursday, April 21, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Namosi Village Women use new Sewing Machines to Support Families
Fiji Village News - 18 April 2011
by Watisoni Butabua
by Watisoni Butabua
The women of Nakavika in Namosi have set their goals to achieve better returns from their own business at the end of the year.
The village is located in the highlands of Namosi, far away from Navua Town and setting up small business is the only way to earn money to support themselves.
Club representative, Alena Dolo said with the new sewing machines the over 30 women have managed to sew shirts, dresses, and school uniform and are selling it in the village and surrounding areas.
Dolo said the revenue collected will go toward their club to help fund future projects.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Hickes Reunion Traces Link back to Tui Namosi
Fiji Times
by Paula Tagivetaua
03 April 2011
Fred Hickes, right and his tavale Ratu Osea, second from left with their Australian nephews, Mitchell, left, and Max Swepson
MEMBERS of the Hickes family strengthened their ties with the Tui Namosi, Ratu Suliano Matanitobua on March 25, on a once-in-a-lifetime visit that included the traditional boka and cara sala.
Veivatuloa Village in Namosi was full with members of the Hickes family which has branched to the Pickerings and Johns families. It was a big reunion. There were different colours but one big family. The men had matching bula shirts and the women had matching sulu and jiaba. Some came from Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America and they said other relatives residing in Canada and England could not make the trip to Fiji.
For many, it was the first time they had retraced their roots. Fred and cousin George Hickes, a former Nadroga soccer star, went back four generations as they retraced their family's history to Edward George Hickes who started the family tree in the late 1800s. The story goes that Edward and his brother Samuel left their home at Yorkshire in England to discover the world.
They came by boat to the Pacific where they parted — Samuel went on to Australia and on to America while Edward decided to board a schooner to the Fiji Islands. He arrived during the time of tribal warfare in Fiji and the boat he was on was captured by warriors of the Tui Namosi then — Ratu Suliano Matanitobua — at the mouth of the Navua river. Ratu Suliano was one of the chiefs who ceded Fiji to Great Britain in 1870. As the Tui Namosi's warriors were in the process of taking the schooner up the Navua river to their chief, the Tui Cakau then, heard about it and approached the Tui Namosi.
"Give me the boat because you do not need a boat big like that on the river. I need the boat for the open sea. "You can keep most of the crew but give me some." The Tui Namosi agreed and they shared the crew and spoils but the schooner went to the Tui Cakau. "That is how the Tui Cakau and Tui Namosi have vasu kai loma," said Fred Hickes.
One of the crew who was taken up to Namosi happened to be Edward Hickes. Edward was more than a seaman. He was like a jack of all trades and knew about firearms and he was the one who made guns and bullets for the Tui Namosi's army. The Tui Namosi's army became strong now that they had guns and to repay the favour, the Tui Namosi gave his daughter Adi Lusia Buliyaragi to be Edward's wife. Adi Lusia was so named Buliyaragi after what Edward did — make weapons. That was how the Hickes family tree branched off from the Tui Namosi. Edward and Adi Lusia had six children — Ned, Frank, Maraia, Fred, Ema and Tomasi.
"Down the line, the Hickes women married to the Pickering and Johns and they all stayed in Fiji," said Fred. "It was our grandfathers who migrated overseas and that is how the Hickes changed colour to be like Europeans but their maternal bloodline flows back to Namosi. "Now, we have Hickes who look like Europeans, Chinese and there are the Hickes who are kai loma but look more like a Fijian but we are all one big family."
Most of the Hickes settled in Nadroga, Nadi and Vatukoula. Fred said some time ago, some Samoans arrived in Fiji and were taken in by one of the Hickes. "He adopted the Samoan family and gave them the family name but the spelling was Hicks, without an e." George said they prepared for months for the reunion and raised a substantial amount of money.
"The Tui Namosi was the one who instigated the reunion. "He was instrumental in the organising and getting in touch with family members. "If it wasn't for for him, we would not be here. "We are his vasu and we thank him for our being able to come for our reunion." Fred said only the descendants of Ned and Fred were able to attend the reunion.
George recalled the time he was playing soccer for Nadroga and Ratu Suliano for Suva. "When I see Ratu Suli on the left side, I would go and play on the right so that we did not meet in the field. "When he switched, I switched also and our coach and team manager would ask me why I was switching positions and I would tell them I could not tackle Ratu Suli because he was my chief."
George said it was not the first time the Hickes family organised a reunion with the Tui Namosi. "We had our first reunion some years ago but we were conned," he said. "We had prepared really well, a lot of money and i yau — gifts, for the occassion.
"We were on our way to Namosi when we were intercepted by people of one village before Namosi and they told us it was all right, we could do our presentation to them because it was the same as going to the Tui Namosi in the interior. "So, we did everything at Lobau and not to the Tui Namosi. "Those people thought we were just kai loma and could easily deceive us but then they got it, like a curse. "After some time, their first-born sons started dying — some got sick, some died in accidents and other kinds of sickness but they continued to die one after the other. It seemed they were being penalised for lying to us and taking what should have been taken to the Tui Namosi.
"It reached the stage when a man told them to go and soro to the Hickes family. "We got a shock one day when the people of Lobau appeared at Kadrakulu and crawled across the village to us and begged for forgiveness. "We accepted the tabua they brought and the curse or whatever was lifted. "It was then they came to know that we were not only simple kai loma but we were vasu turaga, to the Tui Namosi and what they did to us, they were also doing to the Tui Namosi."
The reunion at Veivatuloa that Friday did not last the day. After the traditional ceremonies, there was music and the grog flowed. The women and children went to have lunch while some came back to enjoy the music blasting from a stereo and join the men at grog. A Hickes lady picked Ratu Suliano and the others joined in the dancing with men. George said from Veivatuloa, they would all head for Kadrakulu where they would farewell their relatives from abroad. For the Hickes family members, it was the trip of a lifetime.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Bua Youths Take Ownership of Land
Fiji Sun News - 28 March 2011
Over the years, landowners have had to deal with the expiry of land leases in terms of renewal or getting new tenants to move into their land.For villagers of Nasarawaqa in Bua, the youths have decided to take ownership of their land and toil it for a living.
About 80 acres of land had been lying idle for quite some time, but with the advisory services of the elders of the Nasarawaqa Development Project, the land is now being turned over for a greater investment for the future generation.
Meli Kidia, 49 years old and his first cousin, Josese Kidia, 32 years old, have been in the farming business since they left school at a young age and are now members of the Nasarawaqa Development Project.
They are also joined by Jeremaia Raleqe and Veresa Ceguadrau, who are both in their 20s.
The two young men, like the rest of the members of the group have been giving it their all when it comes to farming.
With the co-ordination and togetherness by other young men and women in the village, they have started their very own rice and vegetable farm.
“We started with one-and-a-half acres of rice and by the look of things, we will be in for the long haul,” they smiled.
“Dreketi is one of the well-known rice growing areas in the North and now with Naruwai in Bua also into rice farming, we want to put Nasarawaqa into the history books by producing more rice,” said the confident cousins.
The youth group started with nothing and had to practically borrow a pair of bullocks and its ploughing implements to get started on their farm.
“The thought of starting from scratch was quite scary at first but then when all hands were on deck, we realised that through unity and the traditional solesolevaki that we are well known for, anything is possible,” said Meli.
Solesolevaki is best described as the indigenous and traditional mode of co-operation between a group of people for the achievement of an allocated task.
With the technical advice and visits of the agricultural officers based in Bua and Dreketi, the youths began their quest for a brighter farming future.
Senior Agriculture Officer (Bua) Ilisoni Banuve said that the willingness and determination to strive through all the odds by the youths has been very encouraging as they are sure to gain a lot in the not too distant future from farming.
“It is ironic that the system of solesolevaki has just been revived in the last few years by the Agriculture Ministry and reintroduced to farmers taking into account the fact that it is the system that guarantees productivity in our village systems for countless generations.”
Banuve also said that mechanization might be the way forward but it must be recognized that the farmer himself is a key player in all farming ventures especially for a demanding crop like rice.
“The one thing that really stood out was the collaboration of the farmers and this is what I strongly believe will be the foundation of a successful farm and I hope that through networking and more collaboration between the members of the group, they will be able to develop further into other crops as well,” explained Banuve.
The four young men are not only concentrating on the group farm but like other members of the group, they have also been busy with their own individual farms.
They have also been busy with their own rice farms and say that there are many more aspects of agriculture that they would like to pursue, but all will be taken one day at a time.
“I hope that people around the country will realise the importance of farming and take it seriously as it is a source of food security and a means to earning money,” said Josese.
“I know of a few friends who have left farming completely because they have entered the workforce but I would not want that to happen to me as I am satisfied with what the land is rewarding me with,” he smiled.
They all agreed that the knowledge gained from the rice experts in Dreketi was quite valuable and some of the technologies of planting it as well were quite advance yet simple.
A technique imported from Indonesia was the ‘Lego’ system, a system designed to maximize rice production from a piece of land.
‘Lego’, meaning line in the Indonesian lingo, is carried out in two patterns the ‘Lego One’ and ‘Lego Two’ or ‘Line one’ and ‘Line Two’.
The technique means that rice is planted in rows of two or four followed by a space of 50 centimetres to enable the proper management of weeds. Farmers use this space to navigate through their fields.
Enhancing the good management of water and fertiliser application the technique also brought along with it a method where seedlings are raised on seed beds before transplanting to the various plots.
According to the dynamic four, farmers in Nasarawaqa have come to realise the importance of working together and cooperating amongst themselves instead of working individually.
“Farmers have realised that more can be done when they work together and through this their yield will increase enabling them to earn more money from their harvest,” he said.
“Time is neither mine nor yours so we must use it well and maximise it to achieve our goals in life.”
“We allocate certain days of the week where the task force work on selected farms and on our free days we carry out other chores or tend to our own farms but the heavy work are left for the group to carry out.
“The price of rice is quite good and tempting and if we take advantage of this a lot of things can happen and the country can be self sufficient in rice and proceeds can facilitate the improvement of our living conditions,” he pointed out.
Rewa Rice Limited buys all the local rice at $ 750 per tonne.
“Rice is a 90 days crop so why wait four years to harvest your yaqona when you can grow rice and earn money in 90 days,” he adds.
The Ministry of Agriculture through its ‘Rice Revitalisation’ and ‘Import Substitution Programme’ is persuading farmers to plant the high yielding varieties of rice such as Star, Nuinui and the Uttam which has the capability of producing 5.5 tonnes per hectare.
While rice farming is carried out on a large scale at Dreketi and Nasarawaqa, the Ministry is also targeting pocket areas in the Northern Division that have the potential for the commodity.
Government’s aim under its roadmap is to reduce rice imports to $5million by 2012 so that money used in importing rice will be shared by our local farmers.
Fiji imports around $40million worth of rice annually.
*KUINI WAQASAVOU is a staff member
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tale of a Lali's journey
Fiji Times - Monday, March 07, 2011
Lali craftsman Apakuki Malokeivuna, right, with his uncle Ro Cavasiga Raicebe in front of the lali that was crafted specifically for the new church in Sawani. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU
WHEN the new church was in the process of being built, Apakuki Malokeivuna, wanted to make a contribution.
And a significant one he made a lali, a hollowed-out portion of a tree stem, used by village churches to "call" people to worship.
Working for the Public Works Department, Mr Malokeivuna was one of the staff dispatched to Lomaloma, Vanuabalavu in the Lau Group, for the construction of the nurses' quarters.
Mr Malokeivuna then merely took advantage of being in the vicinity of a people, renowned for their prowess in wood carving.
"Some of my family members helped me to raise money for the lali," he said.
"One day I took a boat ride to Susui. There I asked them if they could make a lali for our church."
Mr Malokeivuna arrived at the Suva docks with the lali, crafted from a single stem of vesi wood.
"I arrived here on December 23 when we finished our work with the lali," he said.
"The lali was so heavy that it took 14 men to carry.
"I think the lali is good because it will be used by the congregation, each time we have a church service."
Sawani circuit minister Reverend Tomasi Vula said traditionally, the lali was used by chiefs to call his people to meet.
"Since Christianity, we have used the lali as a means of calling the people to worship," he said
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Village Project Changes Lives
by Salaseini Vosamana
Fiji Times - Saturday, March 05, 2011
A MARKED reduction in yaqona consumption by the menfolk of a particular village in Seaqaqa has been noticed.
The reduction has been attributed to a new farming project.The project involves large scale farming of vegetables and rootcrops.
The initiative by Buaviu Village elders has drawn the attention of their young people.
Village chief Ratu Vilikesa Sigadromucala said he had noticed that the villagers' living standard had deteriorated and devising the project was in part a response to that.
Village spokesman Ratu Emori Rokoqica said the project was discussed at village meetings.
"There are about 50 men engaged in this project - we plant root crops, vegetables and grog for every plantation," Ratu Emori said."We visit the plantation Thursdays and Fridays, every week.
"This is a good initiative decided by our elders because it has made the people work harder."
He said the project had minimised yaqona consumption.
"We used to drink grog until the crack of dawn but now we keep an eye on other things that bring prosperity to the people," Ratu Emori said.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Bua Landowners to Get Payout
The people of Nawailevu in Bua will have a reason to smile come tomorrow as they will be receiving lease money amounting to about $986,930.
Permanent Secretary for Lands, Filimone Kau said the handover was part of the rural development projects the Ministry was engaged in.
“Through the newly established Land Use Unit unutilized land are deposited into the Land Bank and made available for productive use that will benefit landowners and investors,” he said.
Land Minister, Netani Sukanaivalu, and other senior officials will travel to Bau tomorrow to officially handover the Nawailevu Bauxite Mining to Arum Explorations Ltd.
Such breakthrough signifies the relationship bonded during negotiation period between Government, the investor and land owners.
“This is critical in ensuring investor confidence for the nation and creating a transparent and friendly environment for all in facilitating investment,” Kau added.
Tomorrow’s handover details a surface lease where by Arum Explorations can start preliminary work like building a camp site, access, bridges and infrastructure.
According to Kau, mining can only begin in a month’s time when a mining lease is issued.
Also, not only will the landowners benefit through a down payment but they will be given first preference on unskilled and unskilled employment provided they meet the criteria required.
Kau also readdressed that the ministry continues to encourage land owners to engage with government on the possibility of having their lands leased for a source of revenue.
The handover tomorrow will see the landowning units: Mataqali Naicobo, Mataqali Noro, Mataqali Nalutu, Vanua Navakasiga and Vanua Lekutu receive they payout.
By Ravai Vafo’ou
Friday, February 18, 2011
New Tui Vuda Installed
Fiji Village News - 18 February 2011
Ratu Eparama Kitione Tavaiqia has been installed as new Tui Vuda
Ratu Eparama is the brother of the late former Tui Vuda, Ratu Josaia Tavaiqia.
The ceremony is currently underway at the chiefly village of Viseisei.
It is understood that the Tokatoka Nakelo met last night to finalise who was to take up the title and their decision was blessed by the Divisional Reverend.
Spokesperson for the Mataqali, Tui Nakelo, Viliame Tekaniwaqalevu said a few names were brought up and after the final decision was made a tabua was taken to the new Tui Vuda to inform him that he was the chosen one.
All the heads of all the Yavusa in Vuda were then informed and the beating of the lali, the "Rogorogo I Vuda" was heard again, this time to inform the people that their new Chief was confirmed.
The members of the clan of the Taukei Nakelo, the traditional kingmakers were accompanied by the traditional warriors or "Liganiwau" from the Yavusa, Burevakava, and took the new Tui Vuda, Ratu Tavaiqia, to the residence of the Taukei Nakelo to traditionally bless him.
Upon arrival, kava was mixed, after which the traditional bowl carrier, Ratu Apisai Saketa, officially handed the first bowl of kava to Ratu Tavaiqia, to acknowledge him as the new high chief of Vuda.
A tabua was presented to formalise the installation and it was a sign that all the powers of the Tui Vuda was handed over to Ratu Eparama Kitione Tavaiqia
Taveuni Loss is Vuda's Unique Gain
Elenoa Baselala
Fiji Times - Friday, February 18, 2011
The vanua of Vuda mourn the loss of a great leader, former President Ratu Iloilovatu
THE Taukei Sawaieke Ratu Tevita Momoedonu has told the Information Ministry that Taveuni's loss became Vuda's gain when the former President and Tui Vuda the late Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda left the garden island to lead the people of Vuda.
Ratu Tevita, in delivering the eulogy of the vanua of Vuda at the Jone Wesele Church at Viseisei Village, related that twice, the Tui Taveuni and his chiefly Nasuva clan, rejected the traditional request for Ratu Iloilo's release from Taveuni.
Ratu Iloilo was born and bred on Taveuni and it wasn't until he was 61-years-old that he joined his father's people in Vuda.
When he was nine-years-old, Ratu Iloilo's mother Adi Melania Ciba was installed as the Tui Taveuni.
When Ratu Iloilo was 16, his father became the Tui Vuda.
"In 1981, it was the decision of the vanua of Vuda for a traditional delegation to go to Taveuni to get Ratu Iloilo to come and live and be written in the Vola ni Kawa Bula of his father's people in Vuda," Ratu Tevita said.
"We went twice and were rejected twice.
"The third time we were accepted and Ratu Iloilo came to live in Viseisei for the first time.
"They didn't want to give him up because he was their blood and was also marked to be the next Tui Taveuni.
"Taveuni's loss is our gain and for that we thank the Tui Taveuni for raising our great leader."
Ratu Iloilo ascended the Vuda throne in 1997 and led the people of Vuda until he passed away at a ripe age of 90.
He was entombed at the chiefly burial ground of Naburenivalu around 2pm after a splendid state funeral that included the 21 gun salute farewell.
1000s attend service and entombment
Maciu Malo
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Some of the grandchildren of the late Tui Vuda and former president Ratu Josefa Iloilo make their way across the village ground in Veiseisei Village. Picture: Jai Prasad
THE heavens opened up and a slight drizzle fell just before the casket of the late Tui Vuda Ratu Josefa Iloilo was carried out of the Jone Wesele Church to its final destination — the sautabu (chiefly burial ground) Naburenivalu yesterday.
Thousands of people from all walks of life attended the church service and entombment ceremony in Vuda.
Leading the government delegation were the President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau and Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama.
They were accompanied by Cabinet ministers and senior civil servants which included Police Commissioner Brigadier Ioane Naivalurua.
The vanua was represented by paramount chiefs of Fiji's 14 provinces. Those present included turaga na Ratu mai Verata Ratu Ifereimi Ravoka and Bau chiefs Adi Samanunu Talakuli Cakobau and Ratu Jope Seniloli.
Head of the Burebasaga confederacy Roko Tui Dreketi Ro Teimumu Kepa was also joined by the Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, Ratu Epeli Ganilau and Ratu Aisea Katonivere of Macuata.
The Methodist church were represented by former president Reverend Laisiasa Ratabacaca who also delivered the sermon at the funeral service while the general secretary Rev Tuikilakila Waqairatu delivered the eulogy on behalf of the church.
Members of the judiciary, politicians and former ministers like Mahendra Chaudhry were also at Viseisei.
And so were members of the business community; the owners of Punjas and Motibhai at the forefront of this group.
All foreign embassies were represented and some notable sports personalities like Ro Seru Tuisese, Alivereti Doviverata and Vili Satala were also part of Fiji's historic state funeral.
The village green was in a sea of black and white with an array of crimson red of the military uniform.
The soldiers accorded the highest military honour, the 21 gun salute, to the late former president before he was finally entombed at Naburenivalu.
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