FIJI HOSTS CHILDREN FROM PIPIRIKI SCHOOL

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 25, 18 November 1986, Page 7

FIJI HOSTS CHILDREN FROM PIPIRIKI SCHOOL

Eight students from the tiny country school of Pipiriki winged their way to Fiji for a ten-day visit last Saturday. The invitation to visit Fiji was extended by a Fijian education officer who visited the school earlier this year. Asenaca Vakatoka was in New Zealand on a six month Commonwealth scholarship based in Wellington, and visited the school with Sonny Mikaere, a fellow education officer and husband of ,Io Mikaere, the principal of Pipiriki School. Since her visit the school saved for the overseas trip that was the first for all but one of the children. Fund-raising activities over the year have included a cabaret held in the Ranger Station's shelter shed, generously assisted by Pipiriki ranger John Lythgoe. Money was raised at the school's winter sports day when a number of raffles were run. The community played a vital role in the form of contributions of groceries for raffles, time and energy spent by the children's parents in finalising plans for the trip and the huge cooperative effort of the entire community to make the visit possible. The aim of the trip was for the children to experience another culture first hand, and in turn to teach the children of Fiji a little of their culture. The eight children and seven adults — four parents, Jo Mikaere, health nurse Leigh Berry and the group's Kaumatua (speaker) Jack Gray, headed for the village of Sigatoka, west of Nadi the capital. They visited multi-lingual schools on their journey and

it is interesting to note that children in Fiji know at least three languages, including Fijian, English, Japanese and Hindu. They picked up the Maori language with ease. The children experienced village life and the traditional bargaining in local markets. For some time they practiced several action songs to perform for the Fijian people, and were veryenthusiastic about experiencing the life of the island. The theme of the trip and

the overall feeling of the community as a whole was summed up in a few words: E hara i te toa takitahi; Engari ma te toa takitini; Ka marino te haere, which translates to: "It is not by the efforts of one but through the cooperative efforts of all, that the way is made easy.'V The group took with them a large quantity of items donated to them for their Fijian hosts including: canned export quality meat from Wanganui's lmlay and McCullum: games, pensand

rulers from the Wanganui Savings Bank; a large quantity of books (which are in short supply in certain areas of Fiji) from a publishing firm in Auckland, and wool — a scarce commodity, from Cavalier Spinners in Wanganui. Donations were also received from the local Winstone Afforestation company. the Wanganui Trust and the Pipiriki Incorporation. The group retumed on Sunday.