Parliament of Fiji acknowledges the Work of the Church

Read the second member of Senate's speech - Hon Senator MR V. NAVOKA during the debating of Drug Bill in Parliament in 2004. He acknowledged the work of ACCF - Assembly of Christian Churches in Fiji in bringing transformation into communities.Commence reading from his 23rd paragraph on wards.
(Click on Parliament of Fiji below)
.Parliament of Fiji

NATALEIRA Update - source The Fiji Sun News Ltd

Nataleira village has a well kept secret, the playful and graceful dolphins in the i qoliqoli. Long being part of their seascape, the villagers delight their visitors by sharing this secret and they have been doing so for a couple of years.

Naturally, the dolphins became the magnet that pulled staff of WWF, the conservation organisation, to take their meeting to ‘Natalei Ecolodge’ in the village.

The ecolodge is owned by Nataleira, one of 11 villages in the tikina Dawasamu and houses local and overseas tourists while generating income for the villagers.

A meeting room is the newest addition to the Natalei Ecolodge.

As it were, the WWF team is first to use the beach side meeting room and no doubt, countless others will follow.

Set in a row, fifty feet from the black sandy beach, the six thatch bures built with local materials by the villagers are ordinary but quaint, comfortable and clean.

Drifting asleep on and waking to the gentle burst of waves crashing on the beach is soothing and brings memories of hard work and a carefree childhood in my seaside village.

From the wooden decking under the dilo tree, no reef system is visible on the horizon and one stares out to the expanse of open sea.


Coral reefs are submerged in this i qoliqoli giving the illusion of open waters. ‘Moon reef’, called thus for its shape, is one of these and is home to the famed dolphins of Nataleira, a pod of 30 to 50 spinner dolphins.

The Dawasamu i qoliqoli(fishing ground) is 150.01 sq. kms or the size of 21,430 rugby fields and no fishing of any type is allowed in the ‘tabu’ or protected area, which takes up an area the size of 157 rugby fields.

Those that have been studying this i qoliqoli(fishing ground) say fish numbers are rising, sizes are bigger, there is more variety caught, the coral reefs are healthier and family income associated with fishing is increasing compared to a couple of years ago.

A management plan to guide the use of the collective iqoliqoli(fishing ground), and protect the dolphins, was put together in 2006 by the tikina and enforced on behalf of the tikina by the coastal villages of Nataleira, Silana, Nasinu, Lolomalevu and Driti, to address the increased take of fish and the associated damage it brings.

With benefits from managed i qoliqoli’s seen and felt by i qoliqoli(fishing ground) stewards, there is renewed commitment and resolve by the Dawasamu community, to improve and maintain the health and bounty of the i qoliqoli*fishing ground) “Me kedra sasalu tawa mudu na noda kawa” or ‘everlasting fish for our future generation’.

Emphasis Healing The Land Ministry
For those who may not know Nataleira village went through the Healing the Land process in 2004 and it was at this meeting that Rev Vuniani Nakauyaca prophessied that the Fire of God will fall in Nataleira, and it did, literal Fire fell on top of the water 3days later witnessed by villagers. Straight after that fish swam close to the shore after years of absence.

ROAD GIVES NAVATUSILA AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY - by Government Press

Government is aware of Navatusila as one of the most depressed and derived areas in so far as economic development is concerned.

With a total land mass of 12,120.47 HA, only 267 HA (2%) is under cultivation comprising root crops and yaqona, commodities, which are their only source of income.

Government is also fully aware of the high cost of transportation to the markets and the poor conditions of the road, factors that have compounded the hardship currently faced by the people of Navatusila and the neighbouring communities.

To this effect, a road was opened early this year in Navatusila to allow the villagers to travel freely to and fro.

The road is a realisation of a dream that Government has for the vanua of Navatusila.

The avowed objective of opening up the district of Navatusila, is to create the needed road access to the farms and markets for commodities.

The initial construction of the road was undertaken by loggers, mainly T.F.Jan who joined partnership with the Tui Navatusila to log indigenous timers in the late 1980s to the 1990s.

Subsequent Government’s have turned a blind eye to the plights of the people of Navatusila until 2003, when the Ministry of Provincial Development allocated $50,000 to upgrade the access road from Nagatagata to Nubutautau to facilitate the reconciliation process for the vanua of Navatusila with the family of the late Reverend Thomas Baker.

In January 2004, a Cabinet team led by the Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu visited the vanua of Navatusila which resulted in a concerted effort by Government to implement this road upgrading project.

The project which is to cost Government a little over $1 million, comes in two phases the first being valued at $500,000.

And this year, Government has allocated $600,000 to complete the second phase that will be undertaken to include, Mare, Nabutautau, Natoka and Nabuabua access roads.

The tikina of Navatusila is located approximately 33 kilometres south of Tavua town, 45 kilometres east of Nadi town and about 20 kilometres North of Keyasi Government station.

It consists of four villages and three settlements with a total population of 936.

STATE OFFER MORE ASSISTANCE TO NAVATUSILA

Prime Minister Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama visited Navatusila District School (primary) and Reverend Thomas Baker Memorial Secondary School in Nanoko yesterday.

The visit was a follow-up on works carried out by the Fiji Military Forces engineers and to hear several needs from the school management and teachers.

Primary and secondary schools students lined the school green under the host sun to await the PM’s arrival.

Reverend Thomas Baker School principal Ratu Jo Gavidi then escorted Commodore Bainimarama on a tour of the premises.

“More military engineers will visit the school in February to assist men of Navatusila build another classroom block, which has already begun,” Commodore Bainimarama told parents and the vanua of Navatusila in Nubutautau.

“I would like to reiterate Government’s commitment on education. There is a need for us to work together in ensuring children are sent to school.

“The commissioning of electricity in Nubutautau is testament to this commitment.

“Students can now study under bright lights and not use electricity for watching movies,” Commodore Bainimarama said.

Ratu Jo in his submission to PM said the school was facing difficulties in harvesting pines planted on the school’s leased land for further development purposes.

Commodore Bainimarama reassured the school management that a team of government officials would visit landowners in Navala Village, Ba because of some confusion over lease monies distribution and land ownership.

He reminded elders and teachers there shouldn’t be any inference to any developments to the school and its property if the land had been leased for education purposes.

“Please remind those who want to disrupt developments to the school that the school is free to do anything on the land and benefit from it since it has leased the land,” Commodore Bainimarama said.

“Those who don’t comply and obstruct and try to benefit from what is not theirs’ can be prosecuted.”

The school also highlighted that dormitories were still shared by primary and secondary school students.

Ratu Jo told the Prime Minister they also needed to provide safe dormitories and housing for their teachers.

Navatusila tikina representative Savenaca Tuikubula said: “There were 68,000 pine trees planted by the vanua few years back to assist us in the development of the school.”

“A further 40,000 were planted by students and parents of the school.

“These were to be harvested for the construction of teachers quarters, dormitory and more classrooms.”

During a talanoa session with members of the vanua Commodore Bainimarama said Government would look into ways of providing further assistance to schools in Navatusila.

In 2008, the Minister for Education Mr Filipe Bole opened a new classroom block, which was donated by the Japanese and the Fiji Governments and built by the engineers of the Fiji Military Forces.

There are 80 students (both primary and secondary) from villagers in the district on Navatusila boarding at the school.

NAVATUSILA PROGRESSIVE DEVELOPMENT - by The Fiji Times News Ltd

Education Minister Filibole Bole at the back during the official opening of the new facilities for the school

THE completion of the Thomas Baker Memorial School in Nanoko is the best thing that has happened to the people of Navatusila.

The people of Navatusila have seen no major development in their district since their ancestors killed Methodist missionary Reverend Thomas Baker in 1874.
At a time when cannabalism was still practised, the villagers believed that the descendants of the village have been cursed for slaying and eating God's man.

So the opening of the four-classroom block worth $200,000 and funded by the Government is a blessing for the tikina.

Nanoko villager and school head teacher, Savenaca Tuikubulau said the school was the answer to their prayers. Mr Tuikubulau, a former head teacher of Navatusila District School and now heading Nalotawa District School, said more of their children would now be educated. "There's only a few educated Navatusila people around, so the school is going to help increase that," he said.

Mr Tuikubulau believes the district needs more educated people to help develop the area.

"There had been no development here," he said, adding education would help elevate the standard of living there.

"People here find it hard to send their children to secondary school because we hardly have any relatives in urban areas."

Acting principal Solomoni Ratuloaloa said the school was an achievement for the villagers.

Mr Ratuloaloa saidnot only children from the tikina but those from neighbouring villagers would be legible for enrolment.

"At the moment, the 17 students and four teachers are still using two classrooms at Navatusila District School," he said.

There are nine male and seven females in forms three and four.

Emhasis Healing the Land Ministry
For those who may not know, Navatusila is the district where the Healing the Land ministry ministered and facilitate the reconciliation between the descendants of the late Rev Thomas Baker (whom the people of the area killed)and it's people in 2003.

God Gives You The Desire of Your Heart

Chief Vuniani Nakauyaca sharing the word of God in Pond Inlet

In July of 2009, Chief Vuniani and Savenaca Nakauyaca were invited by the community of Pond Inlet in the Arctic, Canada to be guest at their 1st healing the land anniversary and while there they were asked to facilitate the Healing the Land process on an island that have been defiled by past generations through adultery and sexual sins.They were told that the Scottish whalers would come ashore on this island and would drink alcohol with the males of that community and in return they would take the females into the ship for sexual pleasure. And at times even the husband would voluntarily exchange their wives with alcohol.This community were under Gods curse as consequences to their actions. So at this gathering, by the grace of God there happened to be a Scottish couple who heard about what was going to take place, they flew from down south Canada to this community just to repent on behalf of the sins that their forefathers - the Scottish Whalers did.

The couple from Scotland - Ian Wilson and his lovely wife

Savenaca Nakauyaca

As Savenaca Nakauyaca shared the word of God on that particular island, the couple from Scotland couldn't hold back tears as they could feel the pain that was so deep in the hearts of the people of what the Scottish Whalers did to the people of this community. As they knelt down to repent before the people there was a complete silence, as words were hardly spoken by the couple from Scotland cause wailing and travailing took over! At the same time the presence of the Lord descend upon the island and people were all on their knees crying out as God as touched and heal the generational hurts in their heart. Also a time was given to one of the man to repent on behalf of all the man that allowed their women to be considered as a sex object to the Sottish Whalers.



The Scottish couple and Roger Armbruster asking forgiveness and repenting before God.



Reconciliation between the Scottish descendants and the people of Pond Inlet

This gathering climaxed to the reconciliation between the Scottish descendants and the people of Pond Inlet followed with cleansing of the island by the element for cleansing. At the end of the process Savenaca asked the people; as to what they want to see happen in their community or what they want God to do for them? They all want Bow-head whale and Caribou to come as it has been absent from their waters for 100 years and the Caribou for over a decade. These two of the delicacies that they have missed for a long time. And a prayer of blessings was made to God for the desire the people have in their heart - that is for them again enjoy the meat of Bow-head whale and Caribou. Guess what!A few months later to the surprise of the community, a huge Bow-head whale were swimming their waters after 100 years of absence. One of the leaders in Pond Inlet had this to say via e-mail;
"Greetings from Nunavut!
It has been a year since Healing of the Land process took place near our community where Scottish whalers had their posts. It is quite significant that last week in Pond Inlet, the same week when we held our healing of the land process, caught their first bowhead whale after over hundred years. This is truly a sign of God's wonderful blessing to the community. I'm attaching a photo of the whale caught by the hunters.
Thank you for your obedience to God's voice and going to different nations and doing healing of the land process.....I encourage you to continue to do God's wonderful work!
Yours in Christ,
Martha"


Men from Pond Inlet celebrating the faithfulness of God on top of the dead Bow-head Whale which once was lost and has now been found

But for the Caribou while Savenaca and Vuniani Nakauyaca were still there, they witnessed the killing of the first one, and hunters say that they have come close to their community in large quantity as never before. Yes when Gods favor comes upon the land He definitely will you the desires of your heart...the people of Pond Inlet got what they desired for from the Lord!

The skin of the very first Caribou that was killed by hunters the day after the HTL process.

Before there weren't any flowers nor black berry growing on the land because of its geography (rocky and snow), but now flowers are blooming everywhere and black berry bearing as never before.