Raetihi girl describes Islands

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 294, 11 July 1989, Page 6

Raetihi girl describes Islands

Margaret Olds from Raetihi, a 6th form student at St Mary's Diocesan School for Girls, Stratford, recentiy returned from a three- week adventure as one of 15 high school students from throughout New Zealand to participate in a workcamp programme in the Solomon Islands.

The "Friends of the Pacific," organised in 1979 by a group of secondary school teachers from Wan-

ganui, is open to 4th and 5 th year students (minimum age 16) of any New Zealand secondary school. Different countries and islands of the Pacific are visited in each of the May, August and Christmas holiday peri-

ods. After a group orientation meeting in Auckland, the students and four adults flew to Fiji for overnight, then on to Guadalcanal Island, then Malaita Island, and ultimately to the small village (population 100) of Arabala, where the group scrubbed, sanded and painted the village school. The second week they moved to Auki to paint a church hall and tour

the larger island from the back of an open truck. Most residents lived in 1-2 room thatched cottages but the students were accommodated in wealthier, Eu-ropean-style homes. Native foods were fish and the starchy pana, taro and cassava, all "like dry potatoes" and "slippery cabbage," weed-like but resembling silverbeet once chopped and cooked. Feasts - three in three

weeks - included these plus rice imported from Fiji and pork wrapped in leaves and steamed. A banana leaf on the ground served as a table. Education is not compulsory in the Solomons and space and teachers are scarce. Many pupils leave school to help at home. Major exams are held at the end of Forms 2 and 5 and only two per cent go on to Form 7, and fewer still to Form 8. Many speak English reasonably well. The war memorial at Guadalcanal was impressive. FoUr equal points - N E S W - representing Love, Trust, Wisdom and Bravery, surround a centre circle representing a force to overcome the barriers of nations, races and religions. Margaret says she admired particularly the friendliness, generosity and relaxed lifestyle of the people. The experience was overall "unreal". "It can't be compared to any other experience so far in my life," she. said. "Certainly an experience of a lifetime, and an eyeopener to how some people live." Application forms for "Friends of the Pacific" are available from P.O. Box 828, Wanganui. Costs vary from about $1,000 to $1,475, depending on transportation costs.