Fiji national creates history in NZ

by Ioane Burese

Fiji Times - Tuesday, November 23, 2010

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Fiji-born Viane Amato Ali with his award at New Zealand. He won the NZ Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest on Sunday at New Plymouth with his "My First (and last) Scuba Diving Experience" speech

A FIJI-born national now living in New Zealand has created history by scooping the first prize in a national public speaking contest in New Plymouth.

Viane Amato Ali won the New Zealand Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest in New Plymouth on Sunday.

He beat six other contestants with his "My First (and last) Scuba Diving Experience" speech.

A Toastmasters governor Myrna Contreras said Viane joined Toastmasters in 2009 with the (then North Shore Council) Takapuna-based Taka-Talkers Club and won the club, area and divisional competitions to qualify for the nationals this year.

"It is the first time a Pacific Islander has won the nationals and in such a short time," she said.

"His speech was based on his scuba diving lesson at Yadua Taba in Bua during his stint as the Director for the National Trust for Fiji and was well received by contest judges and most especially the audience."

Viane migrated to New Zealand in 2004 and works as an Area Spatial Planner for the newly created Auckland Council and is based in Takapuna on the North Shore.

"It has been an uncertain and traumatic period for Auckland Council workers but it is important to remain positive and create humor in our day-to-day lives," Viane said.

"I am truly humbled to be able to achieve this and in a way, this win is for all Pacific Islanders and fellow migrants with English as a second language and to prove that we can achieve in areas we have shied away from such as Toastmasters."

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Wailevu Chief Perseveres at Pearl Farming

Fiji Sun News - 21 November 2010
Ratu Jone’s unique pearls
They say that starting a business is like having a baby; it’s easy to conceive but hard to deliver.
At least that appears to be the case with pearl farmer Ratu Jone Maivalili of Wailevu in Cakaudrove.
On the other hand, his neighbour Justin Hunter, a cultured pearl farmer himself, has overcome labour pains and is now reaping the fruits of his hard labour through perseverance, consistency, determination and hard work.
The two, although rivals in the business field, are still the best of friends.
In fact they are working hand-in-hand helping each other to preserve the uniqueness of Fiji’s pearl industry
With both men operating from the serene waters of Savusavu Bay, their tale of friendship is as unique as the cultured pearls they produce.
During a recent visit by the Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovations (MORDI) Programme to his pearl farm on the coast of Vatulele, Ratu Jone spoke of his struggles as the lone i-Taukei pearl farmer.
“I have been struggling on my own for nine years and Mr Hunter has given me great support and the needed boost to continue,” he said.
“Mr Hunter has got the capital to operate while I on the other hand had to make use of the little I have to continue in this business.
“It’s a business but for us, but it’s also more than that; we’re working together to develop the pearling industry for the country.”
Ratu Jone is the younger brother of the Tui Wailevu Ratu Kinijioji Maivalili.
He was a former military officer with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and later worked for Air Fiji as a pilot.
Today, Ratu Jone said he would never trade his status as a pearl farmer for any other career in the world.
As the first i-Taukei pearl farmer, Ratu Jone had to start from scratch.
That includes researching for information in order to find suitable buyers for these cultured pearls.
“In the beginning, it is all about yourself and how you want to advance in this business,” he explained.
“For me, it took seven to eight years to at least get the basics right.”
Ratu Jone financed his own training and research programmes.
He made frequent trips to Japan and at the same time mastered the Japanese language to be able to find a suitable buyer for his pearls.
“One needs to have a lot of money to market Fiji pearls to the world market.
“I am just a farmer and right now I am selling at a wholesale level.”
Pointing at a grubby knapsack, Ratu Jone said, “This is what I used to transport my pearls across to the other side of the world.”
He has clients all over Europe and Japan.
Making frequent trips to these countries has enabled him to sell his pearls.
“There is no other way,” he said.
“It is not about contract-signing or anything like that.
“Most of my clients operate on trust and a pearl farmer is able to build this trust by seeing their clients in person.
“And for me it is also about quality at farm level.”
Another challenge, Ratu Jone faced is that he has to foot the costs of bringing a pearl technician from overseas.
“It is costly and for a farmer this will require a lot of sacrifice on your part to try and employ a pearl technician to come and inspect the pearls,” he said.
“I have to pay close to $1000 a day for a technician.”
Highly skilled technicians open the live pearl oysters carefully, and then surgically implant a small polished shell bead and piece of mantle tissue in each.
The shell bead serves as the nucleus around which the oyster secretes layer after layer of nacre, the crystalline substance that forms the pearl.
And Maivalili Pearls was set up on the basic information of pearling practiced by Mikimoto in Japan, about 100 years ago.
“A nucleus is imported from the Mississippi River in the USA and this is injected into the oyster to make pearls.
“The end products are cultured pearls and the uniqueness of the pearls depends on the colours.
“The sound of cultured pearls being produced on our shores takes our imagination to the lustrous jewels nestled in the oysters formed in the bottom of the ocean.
“It is regarded as one of the most beautiful and magical gems of the ocean.”
Ratu Jone hopes that in years to come, Fiji pearls will be described as just that, “beautiful and magical” like no other pearls in the world.
“Unlike Tahitian pearls, Fiji pearls are unique,” Ratu Jone said.
“Their unique colour is an asset.
“It has a sort of rainbow colour and we hope to market the pearl in a way that we’re not exploiting its value.”
Ratu Jone made his first pearl harvest in 2003 and hopes to carry out another early next year.

After nine years, Ratu Jone will finally deliver the fruits of his struggles.

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Development Scheme helps Bua Village

Fiji Sun News - 18 November 2010

Youths having sexual relationships with relatives have forced a village in Kubulau, Bua, to implement a village by-law.This is to put an end to the relationships and make it a complete taboo.
The issue was raised by Nakorovou Village headman, Elesio Salatabulevu during a recent visit made by the Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovations (MORDI) Programme review team.
He said now there were strict rules on kava and alcohol consumption within the village premises.
“This village was well known for homebrew drinking and indecent activities among young people,” he said.
“It was a challenging time for the village and youths were very disobedient to the calls of the village.
“They were having sexual relationships among close relatives and this was a worry to village elders.”
Mr Salatabulevu said with the MORDI implementing projects in the village, this had given a reason for the village to be stringent on how it runs its affairs.
MORDI implemented projects like water sanitation, bakery, and youth’s cattle farming project.
“With MORDI coming into our village, we have noticed changes,” Mr Salatabulevu said.
“These are new changes and the youths have completely given their time and efforts in ensuring that the projects are successful.”
Mr Salatabulevu said men and women had also supported the village in its income generating projects.
Head of the women’s group, Seserina Batima-tana, said the women plan to use their bread bakery as a source of income for the community.
“The money we earn will help individual women set up their own businesses,” Mrs Batimatana said.
“Some of us love to make handicrafts and the money we earn from the bakery can help us start selling our handicrafts at the market,” she said.
She said with MORDI’s training and empowerment the women had become more active in their families and in prioritising work to be carried out in the village.
The president of the village youth group, Iosefo Nabete said MORDI encouraged youths to work hard.
He said members of the youth group were more involved now than before.
“Right now our focus is to ensure that the cattle farm is looked after,” he said.
“The farm will create work for the youths to earn money and move into other income generating activities.
“It will take five years for us to reap the fruit of this project but it is better to start now than having to look back and not having anything to fall back on.

“Even some of the youths in towns and cities have left school and they will all come back to the village to try and make a life for themselves. Such projects set a foundation,” he said.

Gift to Eastgate Family by Namena Chief

Fiji Sun News - 10 November 2010

Namena chief, Turaga na Tui Nawainovo Ratu Filimoni Verebalavu yesterday gave a piece of land to the Eastgate family to reaffirm their family ties. 

The four acre land called Waileka had been traditionally given to the Eastgate family as a rest place for them.

The Eastgate family, led by Hartley and Tiko Eastgate, were at Namena Village yesterday to make traditional presentation called the “cara sala” to reaffirm their traditional ties with the people of Namena. Their great grandmother hailed from Namena village


Ratu Filimoni told the Fiji Sun at Namena yesterday that they were overwhelmed with the visit especially when the Eastgate family had revisited their Fijian traditional root. 

He said the land that he had offered them is just a token to reaffirm their traditional ties.

“They’re now free to do whatever development they want on the piece of land for the members of the family to know they they’re part of Namena village,” Ratu Filimoni said. 

He said the paper work would be done later but as of yesterday the land belonged to the Eastgate family.

The Eastgate family was accompanied by Bau chief Ratu Tu’akitau Cokanauto and the Tunitoga from Bau.


The connection between the Eastgate family with Ratu Cokanauto began years back when his late father Ratu Edward Tuivanuavou Cakobau attended Levuka Public School.

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Village by-laws not to be enforced by villages

Fiji Village News - 9 November 2010

The Village-by-Laws are only recommendations, and are not Laws to be enforced in the villages.

These were the words of Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama speaking to representatives from the various Tikinas that were present at the Lomaiviti Provincial Council today.

Commodore Bainimarama said he has received word that some villages are enforcing these by-laws, however he added that they will only be enforced, once all the feedback is received by the I-Taukei affairs and if it is passed by Cabinet.

He added that all villages should see that the chiefly hierarchy is observed and transparency should prevail amongst the villages and the chiefs, by way of regular meeting and negotiations.

Commodore Bainimarama also stressed the importance of education and for the parents of Lomaiviti to make use of the assistance given by Government for free education from Class 1 to Form 7, and also asked them to send their children regularly to school.

According to Bainimarama this will broaden their knowledge and see them managing their own business from their islands, thus contributing to the Fiji economy.

The Lomaiviti Provincial Council meeting continues in Suva.

Story by: Selina Navuso

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