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| The school at Viani Bay |
Many of the Fijian islands support small primary schools for the local village kids. The Fijian government promotes and funds education, yet the schools are primitive (by American standards) and resources are limited. We have had the opportunity to visit several schools in Fiji and found the children well-behaved and the teachers kind and organized. It is an uplifting experience and they are always so grateful for any school supplies we give them.
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| The "Busboat" filled with kids |
Viani Bay is home to one such school that currently educates 56 kids from the local area. There is no village here but lands owned by an extended family. Jack, our dive guide for the past week, is a member of this family and is highly involved with the success of the school, which his grandchildren attend. Last week, the school ran out of funds and the family needed to purchase fuel for “busboat” that shuttles the students to school. So this week, Jack organized a lovu feast for the "yachties" (as he calls people on the boats) and charged $20 per boat to raise money for the school. Nine boats participated for a wonderfully orchestrated, impromptu feast.
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| Fijian food served on banana leaf plates |
School let out at 3pm, after which the kids play games for an hour on Fridays. Jack invited the kids from the boats to come in to participate and the feast would follow. Our kids had a tough time keeping up playing soccer in the heat of the afternoon with highly skilled players! But they had a blast!
A lovu is a method of cooking in a heated pit. Fish, chicken and root vegetables had been buried in banana leaves earlier in the day and uncovered several hours later to reveal a succulent feast. The local women weaved plates from fronds upon which the food was served. It was the best tasting Fijian food we’ve had: fresh fish, freshwater prawns, chicken, taro root and kasava (think dry yams), breadfruit (again, yam-like), a green leaf (like spinach) cooked in coconut milk, fruit for dessert and coconut milk served in the husks for drink.
They had moved chairs from the school to the waterfront for us to sit on while they sat on mats on the ground. The men got out the kava bowl – the local ceremonial drink that gives a mild buzz. The women sat on a mat apart from the men and the kids played on the beach with the boat kids.
It was all very inviting and friendly – and real. We learned later that funds were collected from all present, not just the yachties, and $460 was raised. We all felt good about that.
