How Life’s Changed
According to tourist brochures, Fiji—with its white coral beaches, palm-lined coves and smiles—is “the way the world should be.” While this is reality in many places in Fiji, sadly, it isn’t like that for everyone. In the village of Vatukacevaceva on the north coast of Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island, some 500 inhabitants continue life as traditional subsistence farmers. Life is often much less than idyllic, as they make do with what comes from the surrounding fields and forests. The main road is just far enough from the village to make access difficult, yet close enough to make them all aware of a broader world.
The villagers often fought among themselves and police were routinely called in to settle disputes. Children suffered unnecessarily because there were no adequate facilities for treating sickness. People had lost their sense of community, something so important to Fijian villagers.
Then a team of Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) consultants arrived in Vatukacevaceva, offering to improve their quality of life. In consultation with the village leaders, it was decided to build a community centre to cater to the needs of their preschool children and provide a meeting place for various church, youth and cultural groups.
ADRA staff drew up plans that included special construction features enabling the building to withstand winds to cyclone strength so it could also provide a safe haven. Local volunteers dug foundations and stockpiled sand and building materials in preparation for a team of young Australian ADRA volunteers who would fly in and erect the building. As news of the project spread, people came to see what was happening. Many stayed to help.
Within a week of the arrival of the Australian volunteers, the community centre was standing. That was cause for feasting and speech making.
The planning and construction of the centre had created a sense of community that had been long lost.
“Those people had never worked together on anything,” a neighbouring chief told me later. “They were usually busy fighting. Everyone was afraid to go there. But since ADRA went there, that’s changed.”
With the completion of the project, many aspects of Vatukacevaceva village life changed for the better. Groups that had been enemies now act with a common purpose, a preschool kindergarten operates in the centre each morning and it is then used for various social and educational activities by different groups. Health education presentations are held regularly and when the villagers added a bathroom and kitchen facility, Health Department personnel began regular visits.
ADRA has made a real difference in the lives of the people of Vatukacevaceva, Fiji. You can help those more needy and unable to help themselves by sending a donation to ADRA.
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