I AM WOMAN MAGAZINE Fiji - Issue 18

PUBLISHER

Lorraine Foster

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Fay Volatabu

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Felix Colatanavanua

CONTRIBUTORS

Lorraine Foster

Fay Volatabu

Atelaite Senibua

Michelle Neeling

Archbishop Peter Chong

Adi Eci Kikau Nabalarua

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Candace Veramu

UN Human Rights Council Media

Michelle Neeling

Felix Colatanavanua

Lorraine Foster

GRAPHICS

Felix Colatanavanua

Evisake Baivatu

MARKETING, ACCOUNTS &

CIRCULATION

Lorraine Foster

06 20 30

06

FEATURE STORIES

Judge Nazhat Shameem-Khan

ISSUE 18

CONTENTS

20

Litea Masi

42

46

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

FOOD

68

74

LEISURE

MUSINGS

On the Cover

Judge Nazhat Shameem

Photography

UNHR Council Media

Layout & Design

Felix Colatanavanua

30

Captain Ofa Fisher Qarase

50

56

TRENDING

FITNESS

76

80

WALKABOUT

SME

For more information, please contact

Lorraine Foster on 9969024 or email

vintagelink.fiji@gmail.com

I AM WOMAN is published

and distributed by

Vintage Link Fiji,

7 Matanitobua Street, Suva.

All correspondence should be

addressed to:

GPO Box 17878, Suva, Fiji Islands

62

CLIMATE CHANGE

84

90

HEALTH

LEST WE FORGET

DIGITAL PRINT

www.yumpu.com

BREAK THE BIAS is this year’s (2022) International Women’s Day theme and even though it is two months later, the

cry to break the bias continues.

It is more then two decades after the 1995 Beijing Conference, where issues regarding women were discussed and

codified into the Beijing Platform of Action.

There have been many advancements done by women, as well as advancements done for women, but the call to

break the gender bias is still one that needs to be shouted until there is truly no more gender bias existing in this

world. You could say that is a difficult thing to do but it is possible if we try.

To illustrate the advancements made by women, we share the stories of three amazing Fijian women who are shattering

glass ceilings and challenging gender stereotypes and the gender bias that women can only do certain professions

but can not do others.

Meet Fiji’s own Nazhat Shameem who is a deputy Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, meet

Captain Ofa Fisher who is the highest ranking woman maritime officer and meet Litea Masi who owns and runs her

own construction company. Read their stories and be pleasantly amazed at how far women in Fiji are breaking the

gender bias.

Our columns are filled with heartwarming stories of women globetrotting, women involved in business, and we also

meet three interesting young women; one who is passionate about climate change, another who started her coffee

shop at the height of COVID and another who is breaking the stereotype regarding call centers.

Also in the columns we share interesting life tips and information such as the benefits of water sports, the history

and development of the art of massages, the usefulness of having pets and we are also cautioned about the second

wave of COVID.

EDITORIAL

by Fay Volatabu

Our Lest We Forget Column records two personal tributes for a woman who was not only a stalwart in the Catholic

faith but a woman who was a champion for the less fortunate and lived a legacy of love and compassion just as her

friend Mother Theresa had done. Susana Evening was not only a lady in her own right but she also knew the value of

traditional kinship and had learnt to evolve with time.

Our Walkabout Column challenges us to make our vote count, so as you read this issue, I urge you to celebrate

women who are breaking the bias, celebrate the women who are challenging stereotypes and redefining the world,

and also remember the women who have sacrificed to make women more visible .

I hope that as you read the stories and columns you will vow to Be The Change and help create a new society by voting

for those who celebrate the value of women and their contribution in society, by prioritizing their concerns.

It is never too late to start.

Be the Change! Break the Bias!

4 APRIL | MAY 2022 I AM WOMAN 5

JUDGE NAZHAT

SHAMEEM-KHAN

Shattering the Glass Ceiling

Written By Fay Volatabu

Photos Supplied

“I enjoyed public speaking at high school and I had a teacher in 5 th form, Mr

Cliff Benson who suggested that since I could not be persuaded to sit quietly

in class, the law would be the best choice for me” !

She took up her teacher’s advice and coupled with her dreams of studying

law in the United Kingdom, the young girl who could never sit quietly in class

became one of Fiji’s trailblazers and today she is a Deputy Prosecutor in the

International Criminal Court, in The Hague.

Judge Nazhat, who is one of four sisters, lists her hobbies as reading, baking,

travelling and visiting historical towns and countries. She loves her local cuisine

which includes palusami (local delicacy of taro leaves baked with coconut

cream), pumpkin curry and roti and chocolate cake, with her go to beverage

as coffee. She lists travelling and reading as her leisure activities.

Life at Home

Growing up, the young Nazhat shared that one of the challenging things for

her was the high expectations put on her and her sisters. She is the third of

the four highly educated and accomplished Shameem sisters of Suva. The

eldest is the Fiji’s previous Human Rights Commissioner and now Vice Chancellor

of the University of Fiji Dr Shaista, the second eldest is academic and

poet, Dr Nikhat and their youngest sister is New Zealand based cardiologist, Dr

Raffat.

Sweareing in ICJ.

Photo Supplied.

Photo Supplied.

Who is this Amazing woman?

This amazing woman is Judge Nazhat Shameem-Khan, the third daughter

of Mr Abdul Azeez Shameem and Mrs Ayesha Shameem. Judge Shameem’s

father, Mr Abdul Azeez Shameem a young man from a village near Multan, in

what is now Pakistan, migrated to Fiji many years ago to join his uncle, Master

Abdullah who was a teacher and missionary in Fiji. Mr Shameem who was

a poet and playwright married well known educator, Mrs Ayesha Shameem.

Mrs Shameem was one of the first local teachers to attend the Auckland

Teachers Training College in New Zealand and subsequently taught at Dudley

Methodist Mission School, Samabula Primary School and later Vatuwaqa Primary

School, where she was head teacher for many years before her retirement.

Shameem Family.

Photo Supplied.

8 I AM WOMAN APRIL | MAY 2022 9

She shared that studying was something that was expected of them, when

they were growing up. “I suppose we were all expected to succeed academically

as my parents saw education as the great equaliser and liberator especially

for girls. It was a challenge as they had high expectations, but secretly I

enjoyed studying so it was not really a hardship.”

She revealed also that some of her happy moments as a child were those

spent with family and friends. “Family Christmases, where we all got together

and staged dramas and performances for our extended family, Eids, where

our many friends and family came to eat my mother’s samai, and Diwalis

when we visited all our friends to light diya and firecrackers. My happiest

times were with my family.”

Education

The young Nazhat was educated at the Suva Infants School and Veiuto Primary

School before completing her secondary education at Suva Grammar

School.

Young Nazhat then moved to London after high school to follow her teenage

dream to study law in London. “I had dreamt of studying law in the United

Kingdom and of becoming a barrister at the Inns of Court, as a teenager. My

father researched entry requirements so

I could tailor my studies for entry.” Judge

Shameem shared that it was a challenge

being a private student but support from

her parents motivated her to study hard.

“I was a private student so paying the fees

was not easy for Fijian parents, especially

when my younger sister also went to

the United Kingdom to study medicine a

year after I went but they were strong supportive

parents, and it all eventuated-and

we worked hard to get good marks so we

would not disappoint them.”

She studied at Sussex University from 1978 to

1981 where she attained her Bachelor of Arts

in Law before moving to Cambridge University

where she attained her Master of Law in

1982. She then went to Inner Temple London

for the Inns of Court School of Law in 1983

where she was called to the Bar at Inner

Temple before returning to Fiji. In 1988, she

returned to Cambridge University for her

Master of Philosophy in Criminology.

Nahzat and family pictured in Switzerland.

Photo Supplied.

Nahzat with pet.

Photo Supplied

Nahzat (12), Oratory Winner.

Photo Supplied


Work

The young Ms Nazhat Shameem worked in the office of the Director or Public

Prosecutions of Fiji from 1984 to 1999. In 1994, she was appointed Director

of Public Prosecutions, and was the first woman in Fiji to be appointed to the

post. She held the post till 1999.

She was sworn in as a High Court judge in 1999 making her again, the first

woman High Court judge.

She left the judiciary in 2009 and became a private legal practitioner until

2014. She used this time as a private practitioner to share her knowledge and

train lawyers and judges. “According to the rules of ethics in the United Kingdom,

a former judge who goes into private practice should avoid appearing

before her former colleagues on the Bench. I therefore decided that I would

concentrate on training lawyers on litigation skills, judges on judicial skills and

human rights, and the private and public sectors on good governance and

corporate governance.”

International Posting

In April 2014 Judge Nazhat was appointed as the first Ambassador of Fiji’s

Permanent Mission to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva

and Vienna.

She was also Ambassador to Switzerland during the period, 2014 to 2022.

In January 2021 she made history when she was the first president to be

eleceted from a small island developing state, as well as being the first Fijian

and Pacific Islander to be appointed President of the United Nations Human

Rights Council.

On March 8 th , 2022 Ambassador Nazhat again made history being the first

person from the Asia Pacific region to be sworn in as an elected official and

as Deputy Prosecutor in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

She revealed that it was a wonderful experience as she met many people,

especially young people, whom she would not have met otherwise. “I worked

in association with Ms Ana Tuiketei, and we learnt as much from each other

and those who attended the training, as those who attended our training

learnt from us.”

In session.

Photo Supplied.

Nahzat at the UN Assembly.

PhotoSupplied.

The Ambassador’s Role

Since her appointment as Permanent Representative, Ambassador Nazhat

has supported many projects involving Pacific Islands and she held many

roles in various committees and councils in Geneva. She is especially proud

of the work done by the Fiji Mission in Geneva on placing climate change

and human rights, and climate change and health, on the agenda of international

institutions based there.


She worked towards universal representation of all countries in the Human

Rights Council especially focusing on the Trust Fund for small island developing

States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

During Fiji’s first year as a member of the Human Rights Council for the 2019-

2021 term, Amabassador Nazhat was nominated to be vice president of the

Council by the Asia Pacific Group.

I believe also that she may have been motivated by Ruth Baer Ginsburg who

said “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead

others to join you.” Many did support and join her as reflected in her election

as president of the Human Rights Council.

She chaired the Human Rights Council Task Force on Accessibility for Persons

with Disabilities and during her tenure, created the Group of Friends of the

Task Force dedicated to furthering the work of the Task Force.

In 2020, Ambassador Nazhat was appointed co-focal point to address challenges

faced by delegations from small and developing countries, in particular

SIDS/LDCs, and to follow up on the implementation of the measures on

the use of modern technology at the Council. These responsibilities became

especially important during the COVID19 pandemic.

When I queried Amabassador Nazhat about the inspiration or motivation for

her work, her response reflected her convictions about the rule of law and

its importance in bringing about social change. “The belief that the law is an

instrument for social change and justice in all societies, and the belief that a

fair trial and objectivity in prosecutions are the pillars of a justice system that

we can all be proud of.”

Despite her obvious success, Ambassador Nazhat shared that like any other

role, she also faced challenges. These included some of the following. “Speaking

on difficult and divisive issues at the Human Rights Council such as the

right to health and health systems, and a sexual orientation mandate holder,

working to further the integration of human rights and climate change at

the Human Rights Council, working to establish agreement with the Fiji Trade

Unions at the International Labour Organisation, operating a Mission in Geneva

during the COVID crisis, and working to establish consensus during Fiji’s

Presidency of COP 23 at the UNFCCC in 2017, as the Chief Negotiator.”

Ambassador Nazhat believed however that all the challenges she faced always

came to a successful conclusion because of the strong and committed

teams who worked with her.

Nahzat pictured with her husband.

Photo Supplied.


President of the Human Rights Council’s Role

In January 2021, Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji was elected by

a landslide as President of the UN Human Rights Council, after a contentious

leadership bid left the body temporarily without a leader for the first time in

its 15-year history.

Despite last minute bids for the post by Bahrain and Uzbekistan,Fiji’s Ambassador

Nazhat was sworn in and after one of the busiest years in the council’s

history, without a single session cancelled or postponed due to Covid-19 and

176 resolutions adopted spanning climate change, conflict and vaccine equity,

she no doubt proved herself as a steadfast leader.

Deputy Prosecutor

On March 8 th of this year (2022), Ambasador Nazhat was sworn in as a deputy

Prosecutor in The Hague. This appointment to the Criminal Court, is yet

another feat in her long line of achievements as she became the first Fijian

woman to be serving at the Hague.

Ambassador Nazhat revealed that her work in the Hague involved “Supporting

the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC, supervising prosecution

teams at investigation and prosecution stages, and helping to shape

policy at the office of the Prosecutor of the ICC.”

For a young girl from a tiny Pacific Island nation, who could never be quiet in

class, Nazhat Shameem has come a long way and I am sure that her teacher,

Mr Cliff Benson would have been impressed and so proud of her. Not only did

she become a lawyer, but she became a Public Prosecutor, a Judge, an Ambassador

and at the United Nations she became the first Pacific Island President

of the Human Rights Council and now she is a Deputy Prosecutor at the

International Criminal Court, in The Hague.

We honour Madame Nazhat Shameem-Khan for being a trailblazer, and

proving that through determination, courage and hope, women in small island

developing states and least developing countries can dare to dream

big, be authentic, unique and break the bias to be anything they set their

heart to accomplish.

To quote former first lady, Michelle Obama’s words.

“There is power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your

unique story, in using your authentic voice.”

Ambassador Nahzat Shameem Khan.

Photo Supplied UN Media

Nahzat. Photo Supplied . Nahzat pictured with her husband. Photo Supplied


Q&A with Ambassador Nazhat Shameem-Khan

IAW : What has been some of the more satisfying and rewarding moments in

your work in Geneva?

Becoming the President of the Human Rights Council in 2021, with the strong

and united support of the Pacific Islands, working with a small but dedicated

team of diplomats in Geneva, leading on issues of disaster displacement

and translating international policy to national action on disaster displacement,

and seeing the adoption of two important resolutions on climate

change and the environment under Fiji’s Presidency of the Human Rights

Council. Working with Fijian government agencies in Fiji on two cycles of Fiji’s

Universal Periodic Review and witnessing important steps to implement the

undertaking made by Fiji during its UPR.

IAW : You are a trailblazer for women in Fiji, in the Pacific and in the world .Do

you think there is room for more women in the international arena? Please

Explain

There is a lot of room for Pacific woman in the international arena. There are

so few of us, we are often seen as the honest brokers with no agenda, and

the source of a strong, committed yet empathetic voice in multilateral institutions.

Multilateralism succeeds when there is trust amongst delegations.

Trust is often in short supply. Yet that one voice in the room, from the Pacific,

can turn a difficult conversation towards a successful compromise. I have

seen this occur on many occasions, and I believe that at this time in our history

there is a great need for voices from small island states in the Pacific,

and from Pacific women who understand the intersectional nature of discrimination,

who know the relationships (sometimes vexed) between culture

and rights, who can speak wisely to the sensitive issue of gender identity and

sexual and reproductive health, and who can lead inclusive and respectful

conversations with all delegations.

portant and essential from the point of view of social equity, but women who

have experienced discrimination in their lives, then often become change

agents for society. They know what it is like to suffer discrimination, and they

are able to set in place institutional change which offers equity, workplace

fairness, and a level playing field for everyone.

IAW: What do you think are characteristics of a good leader?

Empathy, determination, and passion for the work of the institution. The ability

to inspire others.

IAW :What do you thing the International Women’s Day theme” Break the

Bias : Gender Equality today for a more sustainable tomorrow mean and

how can this be visualised in action or how do you think it can be realised?

The only hope for sustainable social cohesion is gender equity. The only hope

is the building of societies with an understanding of how discrimination and

stereotyping can intersect on the grounds of gender, ethnicity and race, sexual

orientation and gender identity, and all other grounds which lead to bias

in our minds, to create injustice. Bias and stereotyping are a stranglehold on

society’s ability to grow and to progress. When we judge a person on the basis

of their race, or gender, we take away their individuality and their essential

humanity. In doing so, we do great harm to ourselves, and to our society.

Equality, respect and dignity are the sustainable foundations of tomorrow.

IAW: Do you think more women should be in positions of leadership? Why?

You cannot lead without understanding the lived experiences of men and

women in our society. Of course there are feminist men who understand the

experiences of women, who know what it is like to be a single mother working

in a small factory, who understand how it feels to be sexually harassed, who

can manage child care without complaint, but I fear that such male feminist

views would not represent the views of all men. Women’s leadership is im-

BONN at COP23

Photos Supplied.

Nahzat with son at Naples Sicily.

Photos Supplied.


LITEA MASI

I AM A WOMAN BUILDER

Written By Lorraine Foster

Photos Supplied & Felix Colatanavanua

Construction is an industry dominated by men in the global arena. Research

shows that women working in the construction industry comprise only of

10.9%. [bigrentz.com]. The gender gap is huge and there are many factors

contributing to this which is gender bias, lack of adequate training and the

negative perception of women working in construction. Despite these barriers,

women are now entering the construction industry as workers, professionals

and owners.

In Fiji, all construction businesses are owned by men. It is a highly competitive

industry and the big construction companies take all the big projects. For the

medium and small size construction companies, there is a lot of competition

and in some cases there is bad publicity on the services or time they take to

finish a project and the charges.

During COVID, it was highlighted to me that there was a woman owner of a

construction business and she was good – I was instantly interested. Here is

her story.

The First Woman Owner in Construction

We found her – the only woman who owns a construction business here in

Suva, Fiji. Her name is Litea Masi and at the tender age of 31 years old, she

owns a construction business. She is from Kadavu and her dad is from Galoa

while her mum is from Namalata. She is a proud ex-Grammar Secondary

School Old student and has studied at the Fiji National University and APTC.

She has worked in many construction companies and also worked for a while

in the hotel industry.

Her hobbies are travelling and socialising. Her favourite food is chicken soup

and beverage is orange juice. She loves romantic type of songs like R & B.

After leaving secondary school Masi started her tertiary education at the Fiji

National University studying business administration because it was a tradition

in her family to have white collar jobs. Even though she did not find any

interest in business administration she went ahead with her studies to please

her family but after a while, the disinterest set in and Masi began to hang out

with her friends and was seen partying and chilling aimlessly.

One morning she woke up and decided that the so called easy life style she

was living would not benefit her. The constant asking for money from the

family and hanging out aimlessly with friends was taking a toll on her and she

realised this behaviour needed to stop. Masi decided to look for a job so she

would no longer be financially dependent on anyone.

Across the road from her family home was a Taxi Stand called Sanyo and she

went across to ask for a job. She approached the owner Mr Ali Hassan and he

immediately took Masi in as Night Controller. She worked three nights a week

and the pay was not much but it was a start. The work was not easy with the

long hours, Masi began to understand the value of money as she contributed

to the family home expenses and bought things for herself.

Litea Masi doing some construction works. Photos Supplied. Litea Masi with her twin sister. Litea working on one of her project. Photos Supplied.


Why Construction

When Masi was a small girl, she would follow her uncles who did manual work

like carpentry and building. She loved it and would help them if she could. Her

love for the construction trade began then and as she grew up, she would do

small maintenance work at home.

When she was a teenager, Masi had an uncle who worked at the Grand Pacific

Hotel and she asked her uncle if he could get her a job at the Hotel. She was

prepared to do anything and her uncle was a bit concerned that Masi was

female and that the Maintenance Section only had male staff.Masi insisted

and this was Masi’s introduction into working in a male dominated industry. At

first her family was a bit disappointed at Masi for having a blue collar job, but

Masi continued with the job she now loves. Her pay was good and Masi realised

she was now in her comfort zone.

the period where Masi became one with her God. In the evenings she would

attend church service and one night a lady prayed over her and told Masi of

her future. She foresaw Masi having a business, men working under her and

becoming a successful business owner. It was at this point that Masi started

working towards her future. Look at her today.

While working for Tru Build, a construction company, Mr Ahmed Faruk, the

owner would send Masi to do renovation work on a few of his projects. He immediately

saw the great potential in Masi and how she was good at her work

plus her excellent leadership qualities. He encouraged Masi to learn as much

as she could while she was with him and influenced Masi to open her own

business. Masi was afraid as she was still in her twenties and felt she was too

young but Mr Faruk kept on encouraging her. Today Masi accredits her motivation

to start a construction business to Mr Ahmed Faruk and his wife Julier

Cleary.

Some of Litea Masi’s projects.

Photos Supplied.

Litea’s finishing project for a bedroom. Another one of her kitchen project. Photos Supplied.

Starting Her Own Construction Business

As she progressed and got work experience, she worked at a few prominent

construction companies and had jobs at a few five Star and seven Star Hotels

around Fiji. She also worked on the construction of private homes and

throughout these years she learnt the logistics of construction work. While

working in Nadi in the hotel industry, Masi began missing her family in Suva

and one day she decided to leave everything in Nadi and come in to Suva.

At this stage leaving behind a job and her friends, she left everything in God’s

hands. When she got home, her family was so happy to see her and that

night at home, there were pastors and they were looking for driver to take

them to the west for a conference. They immediately hired Masi and this was

With Mr Faruk continuously encouraging Masi to open her business, Masi reluctantly

decided to start the process of opening her business. She was still

unsure of herself but went ahead and got a Tax Identification Number for her

new Company.

As she did renovations, Masi started posting photos of her finished work on

social media and was pleasantly surprised to get good feed-back. She then

got her first job and was quite excited about it. She has never looked back

since and when the Fiji Times did her story as a Woman Builder, this motivated

Masi to seriously consider having her own business.


In 2018, Masi formally registered her construction company called Masi’s Interior

Exterior Designing and Home Finishing. But to get her company up and

running, Masi struggled as she needed tools and equipment for specific job

tasks. She needed funds to buy her own tools of trade. With tears in her eyes,

Masi explained how she raised her own capital.

Masi owned two phones and decided to sell the iphone. With the $150 she got

from the sale, she bought meat and other food products and took a rental

car to Naitasiri Highlands to sell the products in the villages. She had an understanding

with the rental car company to give her a good deal. She did this

every day for about two years and it was not easy. She had to wake up early

every day, purchase the meat and food products to sell, pack the products

and travel to the villages to sell the products. She would arrive home very late

in the evenings very tired. Her consistency and sacrifice paid off. She saved,

continued to contribute to family home expenses and bought equipment

and tools for her business. Masi now is well known around the villages in Naitasiri

and every now and then she visits the local pastors at these villages

and contributes to their daily up keep.

In 2021, Masi applied for the YGAP/YHER Program for women enterprenuers

and her application was accepted. From the high number of applications,

Masi was selected to attend their boot camp at the Pearl Resort. The week

long boot camp was about business development and was designed to support

women owners to develop market based solutions to address social and

environmental problems. This program was such an eye opener for Masi and

in April 2022, Masi was selected to show case her business services to the

public. This was a huge success.

Today Masi has six full time staff who are experienced in almost all fields in

the building trade. The Company offers the following Job Tasks:

• Home Renovation / Building

• Kitchen Renovation

• Tiling

• Painting

• Plumbing

• Electrical

• Carpentry

• Welding

• Joinery

• Plastering

• Other construction work

Litea Masi’s Business name and logo. Photo Supplied.

As owner of the business, Masi orders materials for her clients where she uses

her network in the hardware industry to get quality materials. She gets quotes

and discusses material costs with her clients. The time period for the project

is confirmed and the project starts. She is seen on-site with her workers to

supervise, offer assistance and do work. Her workers always consult her for

help on certain job tasks they are unsure of. There are exchange of ideas and

learnings between one another. There is always mutual respect between the

workers and Masi. When Masi builds or renovates private homes, she tries to

bring the essence of the hotel décor into the designs. She feels it gives that

special classy look to the home.

Litea Masi pictured with a finished installiation of roofing iron on a property.

Masi firmly believes in God. She has left everything in his hands. If she has

work in villages, she ensures she gives her sevusevu and contribute towards

the Pastor’s daily upkeep. Sometimes when driving around for work, Masi is

seen talking to herself but she isn’t. She sometimes speaks to God and she is

not ashamed to let me know of this.

She does all her administrative work in her spare time and for a young entrepreneur,

she is on the right path as she has her logo, business stamp, business

bank account, business deposit books and other documents needed to

conduct a successful business.

During COVID, Masi’s business did not get affected as they had construction

projects but had an issue with the shortage of materials. She jokes that most

of the white collar jobs had to stay home while she was busy during COVID.


Future Plans

Masi is an introvert – soft spoken but has a lot of confidence in herself. When

she spoke about her future, I was awed at how sure she was concerning her

future plans. I know she will achieve her future goals and we are excited to

see the progress in the next five years.

Through her work Masi realised the issue of going from one hardware store to

the next, to find specific materials and equipment. It takes time and can be

expensive to travel from one store to the other.

Her future plan is to have a Hardware Store that has everything that a builder

wants. As she says “Everything under one roof.” This hardware store will be

open for extended hours and if possible a 24 hour one stop shop would be

handy. An advantage in a 24 hour hardware store is that there is a minimum

time period to receive materials. Materials can be ordered in the evening and

delivered the next morning when everything opens. There have been many

complaints about delays of delivery of materials from hardware stores. This

causes delays in the work being completed on time.

Masi’s vision of a good hardware store is to also have access supply of materials

to cater for natural disasters and there is no shortage. During COVID it

was difficult to complete projects as there were shortages of materials and it

caused unnecessary delays. She believes in local quality products.

With Climate Change being an issue in Fiji, Masi is looking at venturing into the

building of sea walls using recycled materials like empty bottles and other

materials. She has been doing research on this venture and Masi is a strong

believer in using recycled materials and local materials. It will also help in

keeping the environment clean. We wait in anticipation for this plan to become

a reality.

Litea Masi working on her project(s).

Photos Supplied.

Advise to Young Women Looking For a Career

Masi is a believer in blue collar jobs. In her industry Masi says “The Construction

Industry is not about education. There are young people that come into

the industry with written qualification that have a high expectation of what

they want to do. In this Industry, it is mainly about the passion you should

have to enjoy your work.”

According to Masi, the construction business needs more women because

they are unique in a sense that they look at the finer details of what they are

building. This trait is obvious in Masi’s work as she is quite fussy about the finer

details. Her finished kitchen and bathroom renovations are “wow” factors.

Today Masi looks after her mum and takes care of her family household

needs. She adamantly says “When we were young, our parents looked after

us and therefore when we are able to stand on our own two feet, we should

look after our parents.” Masi stresses to all young people to respect your parents.

Domestic Violence

“Domestic Violence happens in Fiji because men think they are it. They earn

money for the family and think they can do anything. If it was me, I will tell

the man to get out. I don’t need you here. It is because I can look after myself

financially.”

“I feel sorry for some women who can’t say anything because they depend

on men. We women can do anything. We can go out and get a job and earn

a living and look after ourselves and our family.”

As the interview came to an end. I was totally amazed at the humbleness of

this young woman and her closeness to God. She says she feels at peace

now and loves being on her own and coming back home after work and relaxing.

She does have time for friends and goes out and have a good time but

she has priorities.

We will continue to follow Masi’s life journey closely and we hope her story has

motivated some of you to keep striving.We leave you with this quote that best

describes Masi – “You will be defined by not just what you achieve, but how

you survive.” – Sheryl Sandberg


CAPTAIN OFA

FISHER-QARASE

The Seafarer

Written By Fay Volatabu

Photos Supplied & Felix Colatanavanua

“ The maritime world offers alternative schedules and lifestyles for those looking

for something a little less traditional. “

These are the words of a woman who was inspired to work in the water from

childhood. She decided to follow her dream and today she is the most qualified

woman in the maritime industry.

Who is She?

She is 49 year old Ofa Fisher Qarase, of Viani Bay in Vanua Levu (the northern

island of Fiji), who has maternal links in Lakeba, Saqani (also on the Northern

island of Fiji), and is the third in a family of four females and one male sibling.

She is married to Josefa Qarase, of Mavana Vanua Balavu (another island in

the Eastern maritime region of Fiji) and is a mother of three boys. Being from

the maritime region, it is no wonder that Ofa is inclined to work near the sea

that even her eldest son has followed her inclination and is now also studying

at the maritime institute, learning nautical knowledge, to become a Master

on a ship.

Ofa loves singing and reading, cooking, diving and fishing, playing netball

and volleyball. Her favourite food is home made delicacy of her province,

wacipoki (stuffed taro leaves cooked in coconut milk) and her favourite drink

is bu (green coconut water). Her leisure activity is listening to her calm music

while cooking dinner.

Education

Ofa’s primary education was at Somosomo District School and her secondary

education was at nearby Bucalevu Secondary School before completing

her studies at the Methodist girls school Ballantine Memorial, in Suva. Ofa attended

the Fiji Institute of Technology (now the Fiji National University) where

she studied for her Diploma and also attained qualifications to be a Master

on a ship. She also attended the University of the South Pacific where she

was one of two trained at their TAFE institute as certified trainers and assessors.

Ofa then attended the World Maritime University in Sweden where she

attained her Masters of Science in Maritime Affairs specializing in Maritime

Safety and Environment Administration. Currently she is the highest qualified

woman seafarer in Fiji.

Ofa with her collegues graduating from World Maritime University in Sweden.

Photos Supplied.

Ofa pictured on a shipping vessel.

Photos Supplied.

32 I AM WOMAN 2022 APRIL | MAY 2022 33

Why Seafaring?

Ofa shared that her dad who is a seafarer and a diver inspired her to follow

this path. She added that she was always near the sea. “Where we stay we

don’t use cars but travel by boats.” Ofa shared that though her interest was

always to work in the sea, she however tried working on dry land but found

the work unsuitable for her. “Soon after school I was working with the British

and American Insurance office but I couldn’t do my work and was always falling

off to sleep so I went back home and stayed home for a while.” Ofa then

decided to do what she had always wanted, learn skills and maybe start a

business doing what she loved the most, working near or at sea.

Work Experience

Ofa’s experience is vast and she is currently a consultant at South Sea Towage

Limited which is located at Eliza Street. Her work is to provide consultation

to address maritime environment issues, including pollution, safety and security

to ship and personnel. She also provides information on maritime nuclear

radio activities to SIDS (Small Island Development States). She has also

done work for Sustainable Maritime Services and done consultancy work at

SSTL, MSAF, TPAF and FNU. She was also Captain of the vessel Aggressor, and

worked at Bligh Water Shipping and Captain Cook Cruises.

With all of Ofa’s experience it is understandable that she had views about the

maritime training and the standards of maritime industry.

Maritime Training

As the Chairperson of Women in Logistics and Transport in Fiji Ofa revealed

her plans for the development of women. The first was to have more women

attain higher qualifications. Ofa shared that a lot of women worked on board

ships but the issue was getting them to move up the ranks. “We need to

meet all those on board and talk to them about the challenges they meet on

board. Try and expose them to other courses to help them grow as a seafarer.”

Ofa shared that women had to increase their knowledge and skills on dry

land by going back to study so they could move up the ladder of leadership

at sea.

There were many ways to reach the rank of Master. One option was to enter

as a cadet and train to be an officer. The other was to be an ordinary seamen

and go up the ranks to Deck Watch rating, Deck Able seaman then Master.

For engineers they could move up the ranks from Engineering Watch rating,

Engineering Able Seamen to Chief Engineer. Ofa shared that there were two

classes of Master on ships. Class 2 were Masters or Chief Engineers Engines

of a boat and Class 1 who were officers on International Foreign going vessels

with unlimited tonnage.

Ofa working from home.

Photos Felix Colatanavanua

Ofa being greeted by other officers.

Photos Supplied.


Ofa shared that time spent at sea also contributed to ranking after being

trained on land. There were various sea times of working at sea for ranking

under the International Maritime Organization Globally. According to

the STCW Convention which Fiji had ratified these were the standard times

for qualifying seamen. From Ordinary Seamen to Deck watch Rating it was

six months. For promotion from Deckwatch rating to Able Seamen it was 18

months and from Able Seamen to Master it was 36 months.

Apart from the need to improve qualifications for seafarers, Ofa was also

interested in seeing the general improvement of conditions in the maritime

industry which was difficult as she saw the Maritime sector being wrought

with challenges.

Maritime Challenges

There were many challenges but for a start Ofa felt that there was a need to

implement treaties and conventions that have already been ratified by the

government. Fiji needed to implement the Maritime Convention and she said

doing so would contribute to more income coming into the industry and to

the economy.

For starters Fiji needed to be a Port of Registry and there needed to be a localization

of services which could be done if Fiji was a Port of Registry. Being

a Port of Registry would enable us to make agreements with international

ship owners, for example a ship calling in to register would have agreements

with the local authorities and Fiji could then have a Port of Registry with Foreign

ship owners. We would then be able to regulate and implement Maritime

Conventions and have MOUs with nearby countries to allow seafarers to

move around. Fiji could become a hub in the Pacific.

In addition to the above issues, Ofa felt also that policies needed to be put in

place to cover the minimum rate for seafarers and demarcate workers on

land from those working at sea.

An additional challenge also was that there were no courses given for engineers

so there was no movement upward and no courses were offered for

outside training.

With all the work challenges Ofa observed also that environment degradation

was also something that needed to be addressed

March on W0RLD MARITIME DAY.

Photos Supplied.

Ofa also shared that in all her work she was aware that women only made up

three percent of the industry so she was keen to work towards getting more

girls and women interested and qualified to go up the ranks.

She also hoped that more scholarships would be given to Women Seafarers

so more women could be identified to go for training. Ofa revealed that

since women made up a very small percent of the maritime industry, she

was hopeful that one day women would break the bias and see the maritime

industry not only as a viable employment option but also as a very lucrative

career option. She shared that women were going into aviation but as

a comparison a person with Master Class 1 qualification had more pay then

aviation pilots.A point worth pondering over.

“My interest and my purpose is seeing all the younger generation to go as

high as they can in their careers.”

For a woman who is already a trailblazer in a very male dominated field, I am

sure that this is something to look forward to and if her track record is something

to go by, the Fiji Maritime sector is going to see a shift to have more

women seafarers in the not too distant future.


Ofa’s achievements also include the following.

• Ofa has written two manuals for Safety Safe Ship Managament System (SSMS)

and, (ISM) International Safety Mode Code

• She has a Maritime ships and Port Security.. Certificate

• Has Taught more then 6000 students at FNU (Fiji National University): Class 6 Master

Engineer

• Masters: Less then 300 tonnage

• Captain: Dive Boat:

• USP: Training Assessor Certificate 4

• FIT: Diploma in Nautical Science:

• Ofa was one of the first five women to be sponsored by ITF for a course in which

she represented Fiji in glo-fouling –Fiji was chosen to be the leading country

• She also attended a course in Cuba and Jamaica on Nuclear Radio Activity Maritime

and International Agreement.

Ofa pictured at work on a shipping vessel.

Photos Supplied.

Ofa Fisher Qarase in her attire classed as, Captain.

Photos Felix Colatanavanua


Q&A with Captain Ofa Fisher-Qarase

IAW: What has been some of the most challenging times in your career?

When I’m discriminated as a woman in the man’s field.

IAW: What has been some of the more satisfying and rewarding moments in

your work?

Having to teach and train personnel who feel more confident with you and

having to see them excel in their career.

IAW: Do you think more women should be involved in the work that you do?

Explain

Yes I strongly believe that more women should be involved in this field because

of the following reasons:

• Competitive pay: Especially as an alternative to college and avoiding student

debt, working in the marine industry offers competitive salaries. Also,

you save money not paying for meals or accommodations when you’re on

the job.

• Travel: Getting paid to travel the world is a huge draw for many people

who work on the water. You get to work all over the world and have the

open sea for an office.

• Condensed work schedule: If you like the idea of getting all of your work

out of the way at once, then working at sea might be perfect for you. People

will often work for long periods at a time, followed by long periods off

— which can mean you have months off that you can spend however you

like.

• An alternative to a typical 9 to 5 job: Many people are trying to avoid

spending their professional lives in an office. The maritime world offers

alternative schedules and lifestyles for those looking for something a little

less traditional.

• Respect: Working your way up to become an officer on a large vessel is

something that commands respect around the world. The maritime industry

offers a non-traditional route for women to find rewarding careers of

which they can be proud.

• Job Security: With the marine sector only growing, the opportunity to find

employment won’t be diminishing any time soon — it’s an industry you can

rely on.

40 I AM WOMAN 2022

IAW: Do you think more women should be in positions of leadership?

Yes, I strongly believe they should as women are often considered to be more

productive than man.

IAW: What do you think are characteristics of a good leader?

A good characteristic of a good leader is to see that his/her worker achieves

their dreams.

IAW: What do you think the International Women’s Day theme” Break the Bias :

Gender Equality today for a more sustainable tomorrow mean and how can

this be visualised in action or how do you think it can be realised?

Having more women is good for business and for society. Yet there are many

conscious and unconscious biases around us, which hinder the forward

movement of women. Our industry specifically is male dominant and is not

considered favourable for women. I, for one, am a strong believer that we

have the power within us to overcome these challenges if we set our mind

to it. We must shine a spotlight on our sisters to get inspired to break these

self-limiting beliefs by conquering their minds.

IAW: State a fun fact

I went to school in Bucalevu in the 80’s and we used to hand pick avocados

which were then sent to Buckingham Palace for the Queen.

IAW: State a fact with regard to seafaring?

To be a Class 1 Master on a boat is equivalent to having a degree on land.

Ship display Singapore.

Photo Supplied.

APRIL | MAY 2022 41

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Michelle posing in her pacific island themed attire.

My Life in a Bubble – Introduction

Michelle used to be a photographer for I

AM WOMAN MAGAZINE. She now resides

in China and will be providing us with

updates of her travels in this

column.

On May 31, 1991, a group of people

gathered at Perth International Airport

in Western Australia to wave

goodbye to a 20-year-old woman

who was flying off to live in Japan.

Those people – the woman’s dad,

brother, sisters and friends – didn’t

know that day that the woman would

never come home again.

But now they know. And I know too.

Because that young woman was

me. And I’m still roaming the globe 31

years later.

I don’t know what it is that makes

a person transition overnight from

someone who’s never left their state

to someone who transits the globe

for three decades. (Although my therapist

and I are working hard to figure

it out!). I’m not sure I ever intended to

stay away for good. I was restless in

WA and I was desperate to explore

other places and cultures. But the

staying away forever bit sort of happened

by accident. I lived in Japan

for a couple of years then moved to

London. And I loved it so much there

that I stayed. And stayed. And then I

realized that my life was there, that

I’d built some foundations beneath

my feet that were hard to walk away

from. So I stayed some more. I even

got the passport.

by Michelle Neeling

Then one sunny day I met a lovely

Englishman whose hankering for adventure

matched my own. He was living

in South Africa when we met, and

I visited him there a couple of times,

and he flew over to the UK to meet

my friends and family. And we decided

that we were the real deal, and

that we were going to stay together

forever.

And so finally it took an Englishman to

drag me away from England. In June

2010 I moved with Mike to Jerusalem,

then in 2012 to Switzerland, where the

two of us became four. Three years

later we moved to Pakistan. Then in

2017 our first ever flight on the national

carrier of a beautiful South Pacific

island nation took us to our new

home…

Ah, Fiji… What a glorious four years we

had on your stunning shores! The first

twelve months were tough - it always

Michelle with her sons.

Photos Supplied.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

takes me some time to find my feet

in a new place – but when we moved

into a lovely house on the beach at

Suva Point, our real Fiji lives began…

There’s so much to love about life in

Fiji. Our twins, Keir and Viggo, started

their school life at Waldorf, where

their lovely teachers gave them all

the support they needed to ease in

to education in their own sweet time.

Then when the boys were about to

turn five they were ready for the big

school… From the moment they first

arrived at ISS they were in love!

Mike was very happy in his job with a

humanitarian organisation. His work

took him all over the South Pacific so

the boys and I didn’t always see a lot

of him, but with the help of our beautiful

nanny and the wonderful woman

who looked after our house, we found

our rhythm.

And as for me… One of the ironies of

life as a “trailing spouse” is that you

have lots of help at home – help that

you could really do with in “normal

life” when you’re run ragged trying to

tick everything off your to-do list - but

you’re not allowed to work… Across

the globe, there are thousands of

expat Wives and Girlfriends and Boyfriends

and Husbands (OK, maybe

WAGs works, but not BAHs so much…)

who are trying to figure out creative

ways of contributing to the countries

they find themselves living in. As I discovered

in those early days in Suva,

you can only bake so many banana

cakes with the kids before the walls

start closing in…

42 APRIL | MAY 2022 APRIL | MAY 2022 43

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Michelle with her family.

Photos Supplied.

There are lots of people in Fiji doing

incredible work to improve the lives of

others. I could see people all around

me doing amazing things – volunteering

at the hospital, raising money

for sick kids or ailing adults, bringing

in teams of surgeons from abroad to

perform free heart surgeries, looking

after elderly people who could no

longer look after themselves.

After joining some groups and talking

to a lot of people, I decided that my

skills were unfortunately not in doing;

an Arts degree didn’t set me up

very well for a lot of that. But while

I couldn’t do, I could certainly document.

So me and my camera got

busy. Very busy. Before covid threw a

big wet blanket over the world, I’d become

pretty much a fulltime volunteer

photographer. I used whatever

photography skills I’d acquired along

the way to help charities in any way

I could - doing family photo shoots

for the families of sick kids here, photographing

fundraising events there,

even running workshops to share my

love of photography with others.

But alas, all good things must come

to an end. In April 2021 it was time for

us to say a tearful moce mada to Fiji,

and to start our long journey across

a pandemic-ridden world to our new

home in China.

In her wonderful book Lolita in Tehran,

Azar Nafisi writes, “You get a strange

feeling when you’re about to leave

a place, like you’ll not miss the people

you love but you’ll miss the person

you are now at this time and this

place, because you’ll never be this

way ever again.” I get it. I do miss the

people I love in Fiji, but after nearly

a year in China, I also really miss the

person I was and the life I was living.

I’d imagined before leaving Fiji that

when I arrived in Beijing I’d be able to

hit the ground running as a photographer…

Photographing people is my

passion and there are really A LOT of

people here to photograph! But being

an events photographer in a country

with a zero-covid policy is like being

an arborist on the moon… Your skills

are slightly superfluous to requirements.

So my camera doesn’t come

out so often anymore. And when it

does it’s just to capture memories for

me and my family.

And I’m forced to reinvent myself yet

again. This time I’m focusing on an

occupation that requires less equipment

than photography does. No

cameras, lenses, backdrops, flashes

and reflectors now… All I need is paper

and a pen.

Things are still incredibly strict here,

covid-wise - and indeed here in Beijing

things are currently getting much

stricter – so while I can’t regale you

with tales of travels across the Middle

Kingdom, I can tell you some stories

about life in my Beijing Expat Bubble

in the strange and interesting year of

2022.

Things are unfolding so rapidly here

– or should I say folding, into ever

smaller squares that reduce us from

big-city dwellers to inhabitants of the

four white walls of our apartment – so

I’ve started journaling my experience

five times a day. An alarm is set on

my phone for 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm

and 9pm, and every time it goes off

I grab a pen and write for three minutes

about what’s going on. I’m sure

that for all of you out there in the rest

of the world this is going to read like

a diary from April 2020. But I failed

to keep a diary back then – just like I

failed to keep a diary when I got on

that first plane way back in 1991 - so

maybe this will be my second chance

to document how the world looks

from lockdown and beyond.

I look forward to sharing my bubble

with you.

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

All smiles, Mrs Michelle Neeling.

Photos Supplied.


FOOD

RETRO Café

by Fay Volatabu

The Café

When did you officially open?

Retro Café opened on April 1st 2022

When did you start operations?

FOOD

What are the range of items you

serve?

There are grilled food, loaded fries,

kids meals, hot and cold beverages,

iced mochas, fresh home baked muffins

and doughnuts

A picture of a Retro Cafe’s product.

Q& A with the owner of RETRO Café

The latest sensation at the Sigatoka Coral Coast is a hip café with a very

catchy name. We spoke to the owner and she shared some insights on the

reason for the café and how she has been doing so far.

The Owner

Photos Supplied.

• Name :Kaajal Krishtika Narayan

• Hobbies :Cooking, Swimming,Fishing,Listening to music watching movies

• Favourite Food : Any type of grilled and spicy food

• Favourite Drink :Black Coffee, Mother Energy drink, hot mocha

• Favourite Leisure activity :Taking my dogs to the beach for a swim

• Primary Education : Lomawai Indian School (Sigatoka)

• Secondary Education: Cuvu College (Sigatoka)

• Tertiary Education : TPAF Namaka (Commercial Cookery)

I started working in the Café in August

2021 when it was just a space allocated

by the council. My husband and I

have made his café together. It took

us so many months but it is worth it.

What are your opening hours?

The cafe opens at 5am because

there are a lot of people travelling to

work that early. There aren’t any cafes

and restaurants opened at that

time.

Where are you located?

The Cafe is just beside the highway

so that makes it easier for anyone to

hop in for a quick take out, coffee and

sandwiches. Shop 3, Cuvu Market just

beside the Police Post.

How has opening the coffee benefitted

you?

There aren’t any coffee shops around

this area so having one in this area is

an advantage for the people of Cuvu

and for the travellers and passers by.

What is the Favourite?

My most favourite is grilled ¼ chicken

menu.

Who owns the Café?

It is co-owned bymy husband Vikesh

Kumar and I.

Do you have any help?

Yes there’s a girl working with me who

left Form 4 because her marks were

average, she then did vocation studies

and now she is working with me.

She is really hardworking girl and she

loves to work as chef.

Would you recommend this kind of

work to other women?

Yes I highly recommend this kind of

work because cooking isn’t just about

making food. It is about bringing out

the best in you from what you are

great at and making individuals fall in

love with food.


General

FOOD

Who has been your greatest motivation?

My mother has been the strongest

pillar in our family. She has a always

worked hard for me and my sisters

and took care of everything that we

needed . Looking at how hard she

works in the farm everyday has motivated

me today to work hard, to be

independent and successful in life. “

The strongest actions for a woman

is to love herself, be herself and shin

amongst those who never believed

she could.”

What is the most most challenging

thing you have faced?

Finance. During COVID I lost my job

as chef at the Shangri La. My husband

was the only one working and

that to short hours when we planned

to make this shop. We took the risk of

putting all the savings to make this

café during this pandemic

Inside Retro Cafe.

Photos Supplied.

What are some of your happy moments?

Seeing guests who come in and get

happy about something new that

is in the Cuvu area. The best thing

about running the café is doing what

I love to do and that is making good

coffee, drinking good coffee and

cooking with flavours I love

Do you think more women should be

in positions of leadership? Why?

Yes I do. Women and their strengths

have always been downplayed in

society for centuries now. It’s 2022

and its time to break barriers and rise

above the systemic biases, inequities

and social stereotypes.

What do you understand about this

year’s theme for International Women’s

Day which was “Break the bias:

Gender equality today for a more

sustainable tomorrow”?

I’m actually very happy with regards

to this year’s theme. Gender

inequality is an issue we as a society

have been combating since THE

LATE 1800’S! Isn’t that crazy? Its 2022

and we are still battling this problem.

I truly believe that if we, as a society,

together are able to break the gender

inequality and are able to give women

the status that they very well deserve

in society then I would consider

that as a win for humanity as it would

mean we are moving towards a more

sustainable future.

FOOD

Do you have any other comments?

I would love to take this opportunity

to show my heartfelt gratitude to my

husband (without whom this venture

would not have been even possible),

my family (for their love and support

in whichever way they can), friends

(for cheering me on) and our high

value customers who have started

this journey with us and in such a

short span of time we have been able

to accumulate so many loyal returnee

customers. Please do follow us on

facebook: @Retro Cafe and Instagram:

@retrocafe.cuvu Everyone’s

welcome! We’ll see you there!

What do you think are characteristics

of a good leader?

I believe a good leader must have effective

leadership skills and ultimately

they must have uncanny abilities to

bring out the best in others through

truly caring, having humility, and

leading through influence.

Cold beverages soldd at Retro Cafe. at the cafe. Muffins sold at the cafe. Photo : Instagram Delicious cakes at Cafe Photo : IG


Having a pet

We human beings strive to be happy

in life. We get into relationships, we

buy nice things, we do fun activities

and attend interesting events – the

list is endless. But some of us have

pets and research shows that having

pets greatly increase the quality

of your life. Pets improves your emotional,

mental and physical health.

Faiza and Liston.

Trending

Photos Supplied.

It is a responsibility

Having a Pet

My life was simple until two years ago.

I live downstairs and my sister and her

son live upstairs. We live independent

lives. When I am in the mood of cooking,

I will cook. Otherwise I don’t have

dinner if I have a heavy lunch. Life was

easy and then Nakita came into my

life. One Saturday while raking outside,

my sister’s dogs were barking at

a small black and white kitten. I managed

to catch it and put it outside the

fence so the dogs wouldn’t kill it. But

this small fur ball kept on coming back

into our yard. That was how I unintentionally

adopted Nakita as my pet.

I had to give her a name. So I checked

and there was no sign of being a male

so I named her Nakita after my favourite

woman TV character. Because my

sister had dogs, Nakita immediately

became a house cat. The first night was

stressful as I had to look for food for Nakita.

I gave her milk which was the only

thing left in my fridge. She was happy.

As I settled down for the night with

a glass of wine and watching Netflix,

Nakita jumped on the couch to lie with

me. My life style was rapidly changing.

I now had a creature to look after.

by Lorraine Foster

Nakita chilling.

Routine life style

Photo : Lorraine Foster.

Every morning Nakita wakes up between

5.30am to 6.00am and in turn

wakes me up by running up and down

on top of me. She immediately expects

to be fed. This habit has proven useful as

I don’t oversleep and I have time to pray

and do my morning exercise. Sometimes

it is hard if one had a late night.

Pets have a regular feeding schedule

and having this consistent routine

keeps the animal calm and well-balanced

and also helps you to adopt

a consistent routine. Irrespective of

what mood you in, you must care for

your pet. If you are suffering from depression,

anxiety and stress, you must

put these feelings aside and ensure

that the daily needs of your pets are

catered for. This helps you cope with

any mental problem you might have.

Wednesday lazing around the porch.

Fussy pets

Trending

I am a “dog person” and I assumed

that cats were like dogs where they

ate any type of meat. Nakita is a

fussy eater. On the second day being

in her new home, she did not

want milk anymore but wanted to eat

what I ate. Eventually she only wanted

to eat Crest branded sausages.

She would not touch other brands.

She then went off the sausages and

now she eats chicken liver or chicken

mince but needs to be well cooked

and served to her warm. Every now

and then she likes to eat Pizza [Because

that is all I have in my fridge] and if we

have fish on Sundays, she has a piece.

Having a pet is a responsibility where

you need to regularly feed your pet

with healthy food. You must also ensure

that they have clean drinking

water in a clean bowl. Pets must

also be kept clean and bathing

your pet is recommended and putting

flea powder on them if needed.

For cats, if they are house cats, you

need to clean their litter box daily.

Photo Felix Colatanavanua


Trending

Trending

Bonding with public better

Becoming more affectionate

Research says that pets help you

bond with people who are also pet

owners. You have something in common

and friendships are formed.

People who don’t own pets also get

attracted to the pets and friendships

are also formed. It has been

known that pets have created intimate

relationships between people.

This theory does not apply to Nakita

unfortunately. She is not sociable. She

hides when I have people in the house

or just won’t warm up to anyone. She

follows me everywhere. I blame it on

COVID when there was no human

beings coming to my place. She only

relates to my sister and no one else.

Handling stress and

Challenges

When you are under pressure or facing

challenges, pets give you love during

these times of trouble. Caring and loving

your pets during bad times helps

make you stronger and resilient where

you build that emotional strength to

continue. In the last two years, my life

has had some very challenging moments

and Nakita has always been

by my side. She is always rubbing herself

against my legs and many times

she just stares at me with this weird

look and stays very close to me. She

doesn’t understand the crying sessions

but stays close to me to comfort

me. Surprisingly it helps me cope with

any challenges that comes my way.

Bently aka Purini.

Pets makes you active

Photos Supplied.

Pets need regular exercise and if they

are house pets, you must ensure that

you play with them or take them for

walks. For Nakita, she has her play

dates upstairs everyday where she

plays with my sister’s stray cat Sassy.

Every day after breakfast I take her

upstairs and she wonders around

the balcony and she is able to climb

up and down the Breadfruit tree but

keeps a safe distance from the dogs.

Doing exercise with your pets also encourage

you to do regular exercise.

There are some pets that are always

happy to see you like dogs. They give

you unconditional love and there is always

the wagging of the tail or rushing

out to greet you when you return

home. After a hard days work and being

greeted with love helps you relax

and in turn it helps you to return the

affection to your pets. When you have

a family especially children, most

family members tend to also enjoy the

pets, this affection spreads throughout

the family members and friends.

Caring for a pet also creates companionship

for those that are alone

and greatly reduces depression. Pets

make you feel needed and wanted

and takes the focus away from your

problems especially if you live alone.

Pets live for the moment and never

worry about yesterday or tomorrow.

This can help pet owners do the same

where you appreciate the present. This

greatly reduces stress and anxiety.

Baby Nakita Photos Supplied. Moody Nakita. Photo : Lorraine Foster. Sunday snoozing. Photo : Felix Colatanavanua


Trending

Needs in owning a pet

Money is needed for food, veterinary

costs, licenses, toys, bedding, grooming

and other expenses. It is not cheap

to keep pets. You have to be fully

committed to owning a pet so that

the pet does not suffer unnecessarily.

Time and attention is needed to look

after your pet. There should be time

for exercise, time to feed them, time to

play with them and time to love them.

Pets also need attention and this creates

a bond between pets and owners.

Limitation on your social life can also

occur if you live alone. You are worried

of leaving your pet alone at home and

it is essential that you have a care taker

who is close to your pet so that when

you are away for short or long periods,

your pets are well cared for. There is no

disruption to the pets life and he/she

is able to cope with you being away.

Health risks of keeping pets can be

risky. Some members of your family

may have pet allergies and it is important

to know before committing

to having a pet. I never had pet cats

as I suffer from asthma but having

Nakita was not a worry. It seems that

stress and depression would trigger

my asthma and with Nakita around

me, it gave me stability and strength

to be calm during a mental disturbance.

I haven’t had an asthma attack

since Nakita has been with me.

Having a pet creates love and emotions

within you. There is no hurt in the

relationship, only joy and happiness.

I leave you with this quote “When the

world around me is going crazy and I

feel like I’m losing faith in humanity, I

just have to take one look at my pet to

know……GOOD STILL EXISTS.” – Pinterest.

Destruction and accidents do happen

with pets. For Nakita, she has scratched

furniture, curtains and other things at

home. I think this is because she is indoors

almost all the time. She does

not have this destructive habit anymore

as she goes outdoor everyday

upstairs for her play date with Sassy.

It has been known that pets have destroyed

home furniture and other

things. Normally this happens if your

pet is left in the house for long hours.

54 APRIL | MAY 2022

Mereani pictured with Wednesday.

Photo : Felix Colatanavanua.

FITNESS

Why Water Sports?

by Fay Volatabu

FITNESS

something out like swimming, your

body has to concentrate on many

different muscles all at the same time,

which can help boost your memory.

Swimming has also been shown that

it can promote the growth of new

brain cells where brain cells normally

break down. They will breakdown

naturally over time due to age and

stress, but with the help of fitness like

swimming, the cells can be instead

improved. This will definitely help to

keep your mind as young and active

as possible.

sion and improve your overall outlook

in life.

You can also find stress relief from

sports like diving and snorkel, where

moving under the water allows you to

really enjoy the peace and quiet that is

found within the ocean. The world will

slow down and your senses will be altering,

acting as a perfect kind of stress

relief.

Men kayaking, a man leisuring on a paddle board and a man diving into the waves.

Everyone is looking for ways to be

fit and as one gets older it is often a

question of what can help me keep fit

without the added burden of aches

and pains in all the very hard to reach

places.

If you are one of the many people who

mentally label yourself as fitness fanatics

but do not have the stamina

to do zumba or the patience to join

the local gym, then you are in luck as I

have the answer for you…Water Sports.

You might say but I can not run on

the beach, paddle and suntan to the

sounds of the Beach Boys or Shaggy’s

‘In the Summertime’ playing? Well the

good news is that even medical professionals

advise water sports as a

more reasonable form of getting fit for

the less active citizens.

Water sports help you burn calories

and increase your metabolism naturally.

They also increase your fluid intake

and appetite, which means you

do not binge eat. In short, water sports

keep you healthy, energised and immunity

on point.

Exercising in open water while being

out in the sun, breathing fresh air, offers

more than a full-body workout.

This also improves your mental health

by lifting your spirits, boosting your

mood, and calming your mind.

Positive Effects of Water Sports

On Your Body And Mind

i. Improving Mental Clarity

The first benefit that water sports can

have is that they can provide you with

better mental clarity. When you try

ii. Stress Relief

One of the biggest and most important

positive effects from water

sports is stress relief. On the outside,

you might just find that you feel more

energetic while you are doing the

sports, but on the inside if might be

that you have a drop in anxiety. It can

be the more gentle water sports like

swimming that will help build a tranquil

mindset, but it isn’t just swimming

that can reduce your risk of depres-

A woman meditating by the beach.

Photo: Google

Nasese Seawall.

iii. Bone Density


Looking at how the water sports can

benefit you on a physical level, the first

benefit we want to go over is the improvement

in bone density. As you age,

your bones will naturally lose calcium

and strength, become more brittle and

less strong as time goes on. This can be

exacerbated by some intense sports

like running on a treadmill.

Instead, water sports can improve

your overall bone density. Water helps

take the pressure off of your bones,

making it easier for your bones to improve

their density. Even water sports

that are not within the water, like paddling,

canoeing, and water biking, can


FITNESS

FITNESS

help with bone density. Likewise, these

sports can also help with arthritis for

the same reason. Arthritis is a joint

disease that has to do with swelling or

tenderness in the joints. Water sports

remove the pressure off of the joints,

especially large joints like your hips,

making it easier to move and ultimately

reducing the amount of swelling

that you are experiencing.

Individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis

are recommended hydrotherapy

for a reason. It is the preferred

treatment because the fluidity and

buoyancy of the water soothe the

ache in joints by naturally supporting

them. Simple water activities like

swimming and snorkelling help the

affected joints and lessen symptoms.

When you regularly workout, the bone

density increases, which is good for

the overall body. But normal modes

of exercises like running or walking

on the treadmill are not an option for

older people or women who have had

menopause.

For such people, who can’t do all kinds

of workout, water sports are an excellent

alternative. Paddling, canoeing

and water bikes are some of the

options. These can be performed by

anyone, and the exercise the body

gets out of them helps improve bone

density!

iv. Health Improvement

Beyond the physical body and mind,

there is also the benefit of the internal

body at play here. Water sports

can help improve the health of people

with chronic heart disease as well as

people with diabetes. Typically, people

who suffer from these conditions

require a lot of physical activities in

addition to dietary concerns in order

to maintain a level of good health.

Water sports are typically low-impact

cardio, so they will not put too much

pressure on your heart, which is ideal

for heart patients. You will still get

a workout in, but one that is gentle on

the heart and on the body, improving

your overall health and making you

feel good in the process.

A professional swimmer.

Photo : Google.

v. Lower Risk for Chronic Disease

Finally, water sports can help your body

by reducing the risk that you have for

developing a chronic disease. People

who live with chronic heart diseases

undergo massive lifestyle changes

to keep a healthy body. Water sports

can not only keep the body in fighting

shape but also lower stress. Even

merely floating in the water or a few

light exercises can decrease stress,

and keep the person relaxed, both of

which are good for the heart.

Water sports work every part of your

body, burning calories in a healthy

and productive way. As a result, your

metabolism will be a lot faster, burning

calories regularly, and staving off

any development of diseases. You will

also stay healthy and energized, improving

your immune system while

helping to boost your mental health. It

is a lot easier to look on the sunny side

of life, when you feel good.

Benefits of Watersports on

Mental Health

It is a known fact that all exercises are

good for the body and what’s good

for the body is good for mental health.

Water sports are the best kind of exercise.

Thus, it reduces anxiety, stress

and depression, which improves mental

health.

Something as simple as swimming is

known to enhance the mood in people.

Below are five key benefits watersports

can have on your mental health:

a. Water Sports improves Your Mood

Studies show that swimming can reduce

feelings of anger, confusion,

stress, and depression among both

men and women. Beyond swimming,

all watersports improve one’s mood

by releasing hormones called endorphins.

This is a natural secretion that

makes one feel happy. On the water,

you’ll feel an increased amount of focus,

energy, and you’ll be less stressed

about everyday life.

b. Relaxes the Mind

Whether you’re kayaking on the ocean,

canoeing on a lake, or spending time

observing marine life, these can calm

the mind for the time you’re on the

water. You’ll feel relaxed and peaceful

as you paddle and take in the beauty

of nature around you.

c. Regulates Your Mental Health

Practicing a water sport helps you let

go of stress. The activity forces you

to focus on what you are doing out

on the water. You’ll forget about your

demanding job as you experience

the soothing benefits of taking up an

aquatic sport.


FITNESS

d. Creates a Sunny Disposition

Soaking up some sunshine improves

our mental health because it increases

the serotonin in our body. Which in

turn stabilizes our mood and feelings

of well-being and happiness. Exercising

in the sun not only boosts our temperament,

but it can also help people

who suffer from anxiety and depression.

Photos supplied by Felix Colatanavanua.

e. Increases Social Interaction

Many watersports are practiced in

groups, which provides a great way to

meet and socialize with other people.

Whether you’re kayaking with family

members, taking a sailing class, watersports

provide a way to connect

with people.

If you are one that is already involved

in water sports and have been feeling

guilty about spending so much time

out doing water sports, the time for

guilt is over. In fact, it is actually good

for your body and your mind to participate

in water sports.

If you are not sure where to start with

a water sport, look at what you have

locally. It might be wakeboarding or

SUP paddle boarding, but it could also

be swimming, rowing or snorkelling.

Felix knee boarding.

60 APRIL | MAY 2022


You might want to even try out a few

to see if you can work out which sport

would be the best for you. It is never

too late to try something new and improve

your overall health and outlook

on life. The results will definitely make

your entire work change for the better.

Dakuibeqa Village, Beqa


CLIMATE CHANGE

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OCEAN

Climate Change is talked about

around the kava bowl, the corridors of

Parliament, in Parliament and at international

meetings and conferences.

There is money in it and most global

governments talk about it constantly.

We then have the advocates who

scream, jump and express their feelings

about this issue.

In Fiji, Climate Change adverse effects

are visible. Research has been done

and reports written. Government has

received millions in aid and representatives

are seen going to overseas

conferences in large groups. It is good

to see law changes and policies implemented

to minimise the destruction

of our environment. But are we

really creating adequate sustainable

national policies and awareness programs

for our vulnerable communities

in the maritime islands? Guy

McPherson sums up the attitude of

some stakeholders by his quote “If you

really think that the environment is

less important than the economy, try

holding your breath while you count

your money.”

As Pacific Island countries face adverse

effects in our ecosystems, there

are communities who are trying to

cope with climate impacts through

implementing sustainable development

goals for climate adaptation. It

is encouraging to meet young, smart

and enthusiastic women making an

effort to go out to our maritime islands

in Fiji and do research on climate

change and try to make a difference

from their findings.

by Lorraine Foster

I AM WOMAN Magazine found such a

woman.

Who is She

Her name is Susana Vulawalu and

she looks like a model. She is 25 years

old with maternal links in Nasau, Nabukelevu

Kadavu and paternal links in

Mabula, Cica, Lau. Her hobbies include

swimming and hanging out with family

and friends. Her favourite food and

beverage is lovo (food cooked in an

earth oven) and lemon juice. She loves

country music, the eighties music and

all Fijian music. Susana loves to play

detective and therefore murder mystery

movies are her favourite.

She is an ex- Jai Narayan College

Student and has done a degree and

postgraduate in Marine Science at

the University of the South Pacific. After

secondary school, Susana wanted

to pursue further studies at tertiary

level. When she went for enrolment

at the University of the South Pacific,

the queue of students were long but

she noticed a short line. So she decided

to join the short queue which was

Marine Science. She has never looked

back since and today she is passionate

about what she does.

Teaching Children about the ocean.

Photos : Supplied

Currently Susana is pursuing a Masters

in Marine Science at the University

of the South Pacific and was a

scholarship recipient under the Archipelagic

Island States programme by

UNDP 2021 at the University of Diponegoro

in Indonesia. Her oceanography

research is about the “Occurrence of

the Island wake phenomenon on Vitilevu,

Fiji.”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Her work experience background is

varied where she was an Intern at

USP and did waitressing at Dog Father

and Bad Dog. When she graduated

in 2019 with a Bachelor Degree in Science,

she did part-time teaching work

at the School of Marine Studies in USP

for three and a half years and taught

second and third year students Sedimentology,

Coral Ecology and Marine

Spatial Planning. Susana did some Research

Assistant and field work where

she supported and assisted in field

data collection of MScs and PHD candidates’

data from various sites under

various projects which included Blue

Carbon projects, Microplastics in invertebrates,

Microplastics in Fish, Macroplastic

Impact on Photosynthetic

activity of Symbiotic Zooxanthella on

corals to name a few.

“I enjoyed University a lot, the freedom

to choose your interests, research

topics, flexibility in schedules etc. I

was a scholarship student so I always

knew my goal wasn’t to just graduate,

my goal was to find my path after

graduation which could ideally give

me a stable way of life. The marine

62 APRIL | MAY 2022

APRIL | MAY 2022 63

CLIMATE CHANGE

field is small despite what everyone

tells us. It’s a small specialized field so

you better find your niche and find it

fast. I knew this and worked with that

in mind. I studied hard, I made myself

visible to lecturers and asked lots of

questions about paths and opportunities

in our field”

“My parents were teachers and told

us not become teachers as it was

a tough job with lots of headaches.

When our then Head of School Dr Stuart

Kininmonth gave me an assistant

teacher’s job through the recommendation

of a teaching assistant I thoroughly

enjoyed it. I joined Dr Amanda

Fords team in 2020 which was an all

girls teaching team. I had cool, young,

females all around me who supported,

challenged, and inspired me to

continue my studies. It was brilliant! I

felt like it kept my mind young, reading

and helping other researchers, learning

and teaching and discussing academics,

I never felt like I needed to do

“grown up” things until I was out at a

family soqo [Function].”

“Through my supervisors and coordinators

at USP, I connected with NGO’s

and other researchers who gave me

Susana inspecting the reef.

Photos: Supplied.

work and experience in other fields of

marine science work.”

Interest in Climate Change

“My interest came after reading and

looking for a research topic for my

Thesis. I was out doing fieldwork determined

not to do climate change

because everyone was doing climate

change but with research readings

and my work as research assistant in

various projects, I saw first hand the

impacts of climate change on communities

we visited. Impacts such as

degraded reefs, bleaching, frequent

cyclones and tidal flooding and saw

how much communities struggled after

each event I started to think about

my research.”

“My research looks at the local perception

of climate change and I compare

these perceptions to available climate

data and its consequential impact on

local fisheries. While there are a lot of

global policies being developed, local

policies are still very much lagging

behind. This study hopes to shed

Susana hard at work.

Photos : Supplied.

allow us to develop an understanding

of climate change experience at local

levels which can feed into developing

more grounded climate change adaptation

and mitigation strategies in

these communities.”

Her Thesis

Susana’s thesis is titled “A Comparative

study of Climate Change Perception

and Climate Data in Lau Islands,

Fiji.” The Thesis looks at Lau as a whole

and Susana is conducting her own

fieldwork in collaboration with Conservation

International who are the

facilitators of the Lau Seascape Initiative

in Lau. Interviews were conducted

across villages in Lau with a focus on

communities in Vanuabalavu, Matuku,

Lakeba, Ono-I-Lau on their perception

of climate change and its impact on

their marine ecosystems. Climate data

from the weather stations on these

maritime islands were collected as well

and used as comparison against their

perceptions. All the data has been collected

and Susana is now in the writing

process.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Susana says “Climate Change is a

global issue with impacts felt much

earlier and more severely in small island

communities like in Lau where I

conducted my studies. They also are

the least equipped to handle these

impacts. Perception is important because

how people perceive something

like climate change determines

the urgency and degree to which they

respond to the issue.”

“Local communities understand climate

change through the lenses of

local experience. I look at how they

perceive changes in cyclone intensity

and frequency, sea surface temperatures,

rainfall and how the people see

these changes impacting their fisheries.

Events like reef degradation from

storm surges during and after cyclones,

bleaching with increasing SST,

how they may find rainfall to affect

their ecosystems, what they prefer to

eat/fish and if they see any changes

with changes in climate.”

“It is important to understand and take

into account local perceptions to be

able to create relevant policies that

A flooded village in the Lau group. Photos Supplied.

Susana and colleagues

Photos : Supplied. more light on local experiences and


CLIMATE CHANGE

Susana educating community

Photos : Supplied.

helps the most helpless in this fight.”

“Unfortunately we who are the least

to contribute to this problem are the

most affected but we cannot have a

doom gloom mentally. We need everyone

with any avenue to spread

the word, speak up! Whether that be

through research or advocacy, Climate

Change is a global issue and it

requires a global response.”

“Climate change impacts don’t

change much across islands, you

now see cyclone impacts everywhere

like dying and degraded coral

reefs, waves reaching village playing

grounds, inundation, flooding etc.”

“Climate change is a global issue,

the solution and actions that affect

us at a grand scale must come from

the North but that shouldn’t give us a

doom gloom mentality. We can act at

a local level, fishing smart to allow for

a healthy food chain, preserving ecologically

important species like parrotfish-

important sand producers, Ta

which are important herbivores fish,

sea cucumbers.”

“Reducing burning on land, reducing

the use of fertilizers that eventually

run to the sea and causes increased

growth rates of macro algae leading

to eutrophication of waters, with no

herbivores fish due to overfishing, ecosystems

shifts happen, reefs struggle

to grow, fish have no habitats and the

cycle continues. This is just a very simple

example of relationship and dynamics

in a marine ecosystem. Local

actions can go a long way to reducing

the impacts of climate change.

Protect your reefs, replant your mangroves,

stop eating your turtles, your

sea cucumbers, fish smarter, be more

respectful to your resources and you

will see how much it can provide for

you. It is a living ecosystem.”

Susana educating youth.

Photos : Supplied.

Advise to Young People Who Are looking

for a Career

“Studies may not be for everyone, but I

strongly recommend it because when

you study you narrow out your interests

– what you’re good at, what you’re

not, what you’d like to try. It’s a tool to

help you navigate life. A huge part of it

is free, use it!”

“To allow yourself to be uncertain for

a bit understanding that it is part of

the process of figuring things out. My

path didn’t come to me, I had to find it

by reading and talking to people, asking

for help and advice. Whether it be

studying or working, you need a plan.

Give yourself time to breath, get a book

and write down a plan. Anything, to

start from is better than doing nothing

about anything.”

Opinion on Social Media

“An amazing tool for spreading a message,

networks that you can tailor according

to your background and interest.

When used right it can be great

but like everything else in life the dose

makes the poison.”

Opinion on Domestic Violence in Fiji

“Domestic violence is one of my biggest

fears in a relationship. It was one of the

CLIMATE CHANGE

very first things I spoke about with my

partner. It important for young adults

to discuss boundaries, fears, what individuals

may consider a “violent act”.

It can be very different for everybody.”

Climate Change must be taken seriously

and all stakeholders must talk,

discuss, research and critically put effective

sustainable plans into action.

We must act now. Our mode of living

must change so we can leave behind

a habitable planet for our future generations.

We leave you with this quote

– “We do not inherit the earth from our

ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”

– Native American Proverb.

We thank young women like Susana

for their research work and we hope

that their findings can be elevated to

the next level which is actually reading

their reports and creating sustainable

plans for adaptation to climate

change. We cheer Susana on for her

quest in creating an awareness in climate

change and add to her voice by

talking about the effects of climate

change and offering solutions.

Susana. Photos by Felix Colatanavanua. Susana getting ready to dive. Photos : Supplied.


Leisure

MASSAGING – BEAUTY OR HEALTH

by Lorraine Foster

Leisure

History of Massaging

3000 BCE or earlier - The history of

massaging can be traced back to India

where it was regarded as natural

healing. This practice was handed

down through generations to heal injuries,

relieve pain and cure illnesses. It

was said that massaging restored the

body’s natural and physical balance

so that the body could heal naturally.

Ancient Greek Massage

5th Century BCE - Hippocrates was a

Greek physician of the classical period

and is considered as one of the most

outstanding figures in medicine. The

father of medicine treated physical injuries

with a combination of massage,

proper diets, exercise, fresh air and

music to restore health imbalance.

Hippocrates examining a child

by Robert Thom

Ancient Chinese Massage

2500 BCE - Egypt added their own

bodywork techniques to massage

therapy where there was a concentration

on specific points on the

feet and hands to effect healing.

Ancient Japanese Massage

Between 800 and 700 BCE - the

Greeks and Romans used massage

therapy for athletes before competition

where their bodies were applied

with herbs and oils when massaging.

It loosened the muscles and relieved

body pain to prepare the athletes

to train and compete. Today

most sports have their own masseur.

68 APRIL | MAY 2022

2700 BCE – China then invented

new massage techniques through

a combination of skills and practises

of traditional Chinese medicine,

martial arts and the spiritual yoga

training of Buddhists and Taoists.

Ancient Egyption Massage

1000 BCE - Japan invented their own

way of massage techniques where

the human organs were regulated

and strengthened by rebalancing

energy levels through stimulation

of pressure points in a hope of

bringing natural resistance to illness.

Ancient Roman Massage

Ancient Massage Board

17th Century - There was a decline of

massage therapy until the 17th Century

when modern medical technology

was discovered but in the early

1800s, Sweden introduced massage

therapy to their gymnastic athletes

and again the benefits of this

wellness technique evolved again.

1st Century - massage therapy was

used on emperors as people became

more aware of the benefits of massage

therapy. The public in turn would

frequent the spa baths for treatment

and full-body massage to stimulate

circulation and loosen their joints.

Ambroise Paré caring for a patient - James Bertrand

In the 20th and 21st Centuries - There was a demand for masseurs and the

physiotherapists helped massage therapy become a legitimate and respectable

form of medicine. Between 1970 and 2000, massage therapy experienced

a transformation, as people were taking a more holistic approach

to health care, pain management and restoring and maintaining

healthy bodies. It is interesting to see massage therapy is now an essential

part of the beauty services industry. Today most three to five star hotels

around the world offer massage therapy services. There are also educational

beauty academies that teach massage/masseur therapy. It is a popular

service that is becoming one of the fastest growing industry in beauty.

APRIL | MAY 2022 69

Leisure

Massage in Fiji

Fiji is noted for two types of massages

that have been handed down from

generation to generation. There is the

soothing “bobo” massage and the

deep-tissue barefoot massage.

The bobo massage enhances total

wellbeing with hand techniques combining

long strokes, kneading and

palm over palm motions. There is not

much written history about its origin

but most Fijian masseurs have their

own unique methods to treat sprained

ankles, sore backs and other bodily

physical pains. I have fond memories

of my grand-mother massaging my

sister and I, when we were young. She

had surprisingly strong hands and she

would massage us with Fijian oil if we

had a stomach or back ache.

The deep-tissue massage is the use of

feet to release tension and increase

circulation, mobility and flexibility. The

masseuses will not stand directly on

the back of the person but will have

one foot on the ground or holding onto

an overhead support beam or rope.

In various areas around Fiji, they have

their own unique massage techniques.

Most of us in Fiji have been massaged

and it is highly recommended that

everyone from babies to children to

adults to our ageing citizens get massaged.

It is not only good for the body

but also good for the soul.

Professional Individual Masseurs

Today you are able to hire a professional

masseur to give you a massage

in the privacy of your own home. In

Suva, “Balabala Bobo” is a highly recommended

mobile wellness service

in Suva that does manual massage

therapy. Owned by Raewyn Cornish,

she combines massage therapy with

professional beauty services as well.

Her official face book page is called

Balabala Bobo and pricing, types of

services and other information is on

the page. Contact her.

There are many other professional individual

masseurs and one must take

caution if you have a serious muscle

or joint injury. It is advisable to see a

qualified physio therapist.

Rainforest Massage Fiji Photos www.fiji.travel Pure Fiji Day Spa Photos Pure Fiji

70 APRIL | MAY 2022

Fijian Foot Message

Photo www.thumbtack.com

Relaxing massage

Leisure

Photos www.travelonline.com

Professional Massage and Spa

Services

In Fiji, there are professional masseur

services for specific areas of the body.

A popular masseur in Suva for feet is

Happy Foot Fiji that is based in Sports

City, Suva. They offer full body treatment,

foot reflexology, Head, Neck and

Back Massage.

Pure Fiji Spa Is another frequented

professional venue that offers various

massage and beauty treatments.

The Spa Therapists are trained specifically

by an International Trainer and

they have a venue that is adequately

equipped for the services they provide.

They also provide their own infused

therapeutic oils and ointments.

Most three to five star Hotels around

the world including Fiji offer massage,

beauty and spa services as a package.

Massage therapy is becoming a

big business for the health and beauty

industry and is here to stay as more

and more people take advantage of

its benefits.

If you google Fiji Massage you will be

amazed at the variety of massage,

spa and beauty therapy being offered.

I AM WOMAN 71

Leisure

Spa Academy Fiji

Debra Sadranu opened Fiji’s first Beauty

Academy in 1998. The Academy offers

a wide range of training in beauty,

spa and massage therapy. The Academy

offers unique beauty services to

transit passengers and daily tours for

a spa tourism experience. This service

allows the students to do on the job

training with direct exposure to working

in a spa tourism environment.

The Academy boasts that many graduates

who have migrated to New Zealand

and Australia, where they now

work in the Beauty Industry.

I noticed that after speaking to many

women who have had massage therapy

on a regular basis, there is calmness

in their behaviour and I would

also want that.

I leave you with a quote that best describes

what massage does to you –

“Touch the body, Heal the mind, Calm

the spirit.”

Outdoor Spa

72 APRIL | MAY 2022

Photo: InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa

MUSINGS

The Call Center Experience

I walked through the doors on the 13th

of January 2022, with no clue or expectations

of how a Call Centre Agency

operated. I was a small person who

rolled with a different passion but had

the will to explore other fields due to

personal reasons. To be honest, I came

across the vacancy advertised on a

Social Media Platform and thought

why not? This couldn’t be difficult, we

would just be dialling. “Piece of cake”

would be the best phrase to describe

my thoughts at that time but boy was

I wrong! I’m always a champion of

earning an honest living regardless

of the job description but sometimes

pride gets the best of our judgement

and we become hypocritical to our

Assumptions and Expectations vs Experience and Reality

own beliefs and when it came to this

decision I was ‘schooled’. Being a writer

and always convincing myself that

a white collar job was more preferable,

I failed to realize that, wherever life

takes you, there is always something

you can do and succeed at.

I entered with preconceived ideas and

the minute I hit the production floor my

views changed. Anyone who’s close to

me, knows that I’m very observant. So I

entered the floor and quietly observed

everyone I made acquaintances with.

It was just the first day of training and

my mind was already about to explode

with all the information acquired. I remember

returning home and telling

my family “I feel like I just

by Atelaite Senibua

sat through a Law lecture with the

amount of theory we did in today’s

session.” Days went by and I began

to learn that it was so much more to

just “sit and dial.” We had to know our

products, make accurate calculations,

have an advanced knowledge

of systems and the most crucial one:

master the skills of building a healthy

relationship with your customers so

you can convince them to engage

with the services you’re offering them.

I love how team work and commitment

is exemplified within the campaigns.

That it’s not just “every man for

himself” but rather “team work makes

the dream work” & “we are small but

mighty” as always emphasized by our

team leaders. I love the smell of coffee

and the sound of “come join us for tea”

when you enter the breakout room. I

love the hype of shouting “good job

team” with cheers when an agent

makes a sale or the “iko na yalewa”

(you’re the girl) jokes when you trot by

a group of cheery people. Most importantly,

I love that despite the brokenness,

the loneliness, the confusion

that happens behind closed doors,

we know that our campaign is Family

and being in each other’s company,

cracking jokes while dialing is remedy

we so desperately need.

MUSINGS

more about commitment, dedication,

teamwork, loyalty and the importance

of family.

There is light, love and passion in these

four walls and I’m sure that everyone

who has been nurtured and groomed

here knows that. I’m glad that in the

span of time of my being here, I can

definitely assure others who would

think otherwise “that this is more than

just a call centre.”

Call Center in Fiji.

Photos : Atelaite

What I love most about this place is

that at the end of the day, it’s just ONE

BIG FAMILY working to build a Home,

regardless of the fact that we all come

from different walks of life, with different

stories to our name. My experience

here has allowed me to learn

74 APRIL | MAY 2022

I AM WOMAN 75

Walka out

b

Women parliamentarians with Speaker of Fiji parliament.

As I walked around Suva and as I

spoke to various individuals, I could

sense the deep sense of frustration

and anxiety that many women felt.

It is that time again when we are reminded

of our civic duty to get registered

and to prepare to vote for our

next government.

TO TICK OR NOT TO TICK: The value of a woman’s vote

Source : Fiji Government.

vote for a party that has women candidates

or Do I vote for a party that

will have policies to support women.

Even before we make any serious

decisions, the need for painkillers and

a counsellor is real and mind you, you

have not even stepped outside of

your home yet to action any of your

so called decisions.

by Fay Volatabu

rations. This document was then localized

into the Plans of Actions of the

various Pacific nations and we in Fiji

had our Women’s Platform of Action.

The first document was written for

the period 1998 to 2008. The next one

was for the period 2010-2019. Lately I

have been hearing whispers of another

plan of Action being prepared.

This is a good sign for us women and

it gives us comfort that our issues are

important to the nation. However, If it

is not written by the time you are expected

to put your tick then you need

to consider what needs to be included

in that Plan of Action.

You need to ask of the various candidates

whether they are going to ensure

that the minimum standards for

women are met.

Walka out

Knowing your worth

As women we need to know why my

tick is beneficial and where will it be

best utilised? We need to ask questions

of those who demand of our

time and court us for our votes.

1. Will they ensure that the political

party they represent has more then

30% women in their total line up of

candidates ?

2. Will they have women as leaders

of their party and government if

they are successful?

3. Will they ensure that at least 30%

of leaders in all organizations are

women?

b

However before we even get to the

polls there are any issues that specifically

plague us as women in our

country. First there is the issue of

registration. Which card do I use and

which name do I use to register if I am

a single woman, and which name do I

use to register if I am a married woman.

Do I use my father’s name or do I

use my husband’s name. Interesting

concept that is, in this day and age,

that my right to vote either way, is being

determined by a man.

Anyway if that is not enough to deal

with, you are then plundered with

questions like Who do I vote for? Do

I vote specifically for a woman, Do I

Things to Consider

While you are pondering over these

basic issues of which name to use,

another issue that will be niggling

you also will be, what are things that I

should consider whilst deciding who

to vote for. We need to ensure that

our vote really helps in deciding a

government that will serve us well

and as women, we need to ensure

that we are thinking of issues that

affect us.

Many documents have been written

in the past like the Pacific Plan of Action

which was a localized Pacific version

of the Beijing Platform of Action

to reflect the Pacific women’s aspi-

Workshop with women parliamentarians.

Photo : FWRM


Walka out

4. Will they push for more women to

serve as CEO’s in organizations and

statutory boards?

5. Will they ensure that health facilities

and maternity hospitals are

better equipped?

6. Will they ensure that they stop the

violence that continues to exist in

homes and in organizations?

7. Will they have more opportunities

and scholarships given to women in

all fields of education and in all professions?

b

There are many more questions that

you can think of but what is important

for you and I as women, is to consider

what Mahatma Ghandhi had said

and that is “Be the change that you

wish to see in the world”

We need to contribute to a better democracy

and understand where our

tick will be most beneficial and where

it deserves to go and to use it to vote

for more women?

I agree with Michelle Bachelet, Head

of UN Women, former president and

defence minister’s statement.

“For me a better democracy is a democracy

where women do not only

have the right to vote and to elect,

but to be elected.”

BULA PRIME

LIFE INSURANCE

Strengthen your retirement funds.

Offered in 15, 20 or 25 year terms.

Pay premiums only for the first 10 years.

Receive annual payouts over the last 5 years of your selected policy term.

Earn compounded bonuses.

Insure your spouse as the second life insured.

Offers additional benefits to add value to your cover.

Contact Us Today!

Woman casting her vote.

Photos : Fiji Elections Office

132 700 bula@bsplife.com.fj

www.bsplife.com.fj

78 APRIL | MAY 2022

FOLLOW US ON

SME

Women business owners are on the

rise globally and in Fiji small businesses

owned by women are following the

same trend. We also have prominent

big sized businesses owned by women

in Fiji like Dr. Mere Samisoni the owner

of Hot Bread Kitchen and Ms. Gaetane

Austin the owner of Pure Fiji.

Women in business ownership help

women have a flexible daily schedule

where family can be taken care

of and work can be done as well. The

women are in charge of their career

and there is improved livelihoods and

poverty reduction.

In the Pacific, UN Research shows that

women owned businesses are in the

Inama Thread Works

informal sector where the lack of organisation,

management, quality

orientation, and access to markets

jeopardize their capacity to grow and

develop their businesses. But we do

have organizations like Womens Enterprise

Business Council [WEBC] that

facilitate the need for women owners

to participate in the formal markets

and be successful business owners.

Give women a chance and there will

be progress. Our story is about a progressive

woman in business in Fiji.

Gayani with her crafts

Photos : Supplied.

by Lorraine Foster

Inama ThreadHand Bags.

Photos Supplied.

SME

Who is She

Her name is Gayani Herath and she

amazed me with her enthusiasm for

progress. She has three children who

are in primary school. Her husband

works in the IT industry and she has

a Bachelor of Commerce Special Degree

and has partially completed

her Chartered Accountancy Curriculum.

She has just completed a Diploma

in Sewing from Singer Academy

and is always looking out for innovative

learnings that can help her in her

business.

Her hobbies include watching Hindi

Movies, trying new cooking recipes,

dressmaking for children and

sight-seeing through travelling. Her

favourite food is Pizza, Biryani and Aloo

Bonda and her favourite beverage is

Ice Tea. She loves classical Hindi Songs

and her favourite movies are on real

life stories like autobiographies.

She was an Accountant in an insurance

company but decided to leave

work to dedicate her time to her

young family as she wanted to ensure

that the three children had a mother

to look after them through childhood

and during their schooling.

80 APRIL | MAY 2022

APRIL | MAY 2022 81

SME

Starting of The Business

Inama Thread Works

SME

In 2019, Gayani decided to start up her

small business called Inama Thread

Works. She used Social Media to advertise

her small business and after

26 months, she now has a following of

11,000 and profile likes of 5.000.

Inama Thread Works specialises in

authentic handmade bags of all kinds.

There are wallets, varieties of pouches,

lap top bags, sleeve cases, clinic bags

and cosmetic bags to mention a few

of her lovely products.

Gayani says “Sewing has always

amused me. It is my hobby. I followed

several pieces of training and workshops

to fill the gap in my knowledge.

I tried a few products. I was looking for

the correct and right product to pitch.

Market research assisted me to find

the opportunities. It was a consultancy

service provided by my husband.”

“During COVID, I had some spare time

since the kids were at home and no

school work, no outdoor activities, no

training lessons/courses. I was determined

to use this new environment

to release my products. Yes it hit the

market. Luckily that time, I had some

nice tropical floral fabrics to reach my

ONLINE customers and win their hearts

and minds.”

The Inama products are designed by

Gayani herself and she also sews and

makes the products. Her whole family

assists her in her growing business.

Market and Product research is done

by her husband and her digital marketing

is done by her elder son Kinura

Herath and her husband. Quality Assurance

and finishing checks of her

products is done by her daughter who

is an expert and transport and logistics

is done by her husband. She has

a strong family unit that assists her

business in every way.

Gayani advertises her products digitally

mainly through social media and

uses Face Book, Instagram, Twitter

and You Tube. Future plans is to use

WhatsApp Business Platform and optimise

it. She is also a member at the

ROC Markets and she is now a familiar

face and her stall is popular because

of her excellent colourful products.

Like other businesses, there are always

challenges and Issues that Gayani currently

faces with her business. There is

the difficulty in buying the correct and

required accessories to complete her

handmade products but she makes

do with what is available. High quality

and economical fabrics are also

a challenge for her. But if you have a

look at Inama Threads products, you

would never guess the issues she has

as her finished products are quality

made.

Gayani and her designs.

Advise to Young People Who Are

Looking for Careers

Below are Gayani’s pointers to looking

for a Career:

- Identify your values, skills and what

you want it for

- The most important thing to have is

the “passion”

- Recognise the niche market, do

market research, produce the right

product for your customer. Focus

on your customer

- Make the best product and keep

your good faith

- Do not rely on Government or the

private sector to give you a job.

Photos Supplied.

Trust in yourself and you can give

jobs to others once you have grown

up

- Always wake up early, complete

your daily tasks and maintain your

good health

Today, visionary women in businesses

like Gayani will continue to grow

steadily and in the future will be one of

Fiji’s main contributor to the economy.

We leave you with this quote that best

describes Giyani – “You are never too

small to make a difference.” – Greta

Thunberg.

82 APRIL | MAY 2022

More amazing designs by Gayani.

Photos Supplied.

I AM WOMAN 83

HEALTH

This sounds like a cliché but with the

dreaded corona virus lurking in the

corners one can not be too careful.

We are now enjoying the freedom of

walking around without mask, staying

up late and enjoying life without

curfews and restrictions but I hate to

dampen the mood but the last time I

heard, we are not rid of the Corona virus

yet. So.. as we enjoy life it would be

good to exercise caution and equip

ourselves with a bit of knowledge. You

can never have enough knowledge.

Second Wave.

What is the Second Wave?

The second wave of COVID-19 and the

virus is said to be more infectious than

it was previously. In the past two years,

most people infected with coronavirus

showed three major symptoms- a

high temperature, a new, continuous

cough, and a loss or change to one’s

sense of smell or taste. But the emergence

of the new mutant variants have

led to a drastic shift. Apart from these

three typical signs, patients witnessed

several other signs of COVID-19, which

made it a little complex to identify the

infection at an early stage.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THEN CURE!

With the virus changing its form rapidly

and with new variants being discovered,

newer and unusual symptoms

are being noticed in recently infected

patients. It is therefore important for

us to be aware of the newest symptoms

of COVID-19 and to be able to

identify them, take timely treatment

and avoid complications.

Symptoms

In case of Omicron, people usually feel

cold. Apart from that, they may witness

two or three other symptoms like:

runny nose, headache, sneezing, sore

throat, persistent cough, fever, loss of

taste and smell.

“Shortness of breath or difficulty in

breathing (dyspnea), is one of the

early symptoms of coronavirus, predominantly

seen in infected patients

during the second wave of COVID-19.

Although the intensity of breathlessness

can vary among individuals, this

symptom leaves most patients with

a feeling of tightness of the chest, resulting

in the constant gasping of air,

every few seconds. Studies suggest

that breathing difficulties are commonly

seen in the second wave of

COVID-19 patients, right at the onset

of the infection. The infection causes a

decrease in oxygen saturation (SpO2

levels) which may result in lung damage

and in some cases, even multiple

organ failure.

Apart from these, there are some other

signs that are not typically associated

with the respiratory system and

may often go unnoticed.

Other newer symptoms of the second

by Fay Volatabu

wave of COVID-19 infection, that you

must be aware of include the following.

1. Gastrointestinal tract infections:

Your GI tract comprises the main

organs of digestion, including the

mouth, food pipe, stomach/gut, small

and large intestine. Any disturbances

in your GI system can wear down your

immunity and hamper overall health.

Symptoms of GI tract infections associated

with COVID-19 include loss

of hunger, vomiting, abdominal pain,

and loose stools.

2. Hearing loss: Hearing loss is one of

the symptoms in the second wave

of COVID-19 infection. It may range

from mild, moderate to severe which

results in a sudden hearing loss, impaired

hearing, or ringing sound in

your ears (tinnitus). This starts early

in the first week of infection and resolves

over a period of time.

3. Extreme lethargy and weakness:

Extreme weakness and lethargy have

been reported as one of the early

symptoms of the COVID-19 infection,

more so during the second wave.

Once your body identifies the

COVID-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2) as an

invader, it initiates the immune response

to fight the virus, and this can

result in the infected person feeling

tired and weak.

4. Pink eye or conjunctivitis: Pink eye

is an infection of the eye which results

in the swelling of the outer transpar-

Safety precautions.

HEALTH

Photos Supplied.

ent membrane (called the conjunctiva)

of your eyelid and eyeball.

Common symptoms include itching,

redness, and tearing of the eyes,

which results in puffy or watery eyes.

Certain studies have explored the

link between COVID-19 and ophthalmological

(relating to the eye) symptoms.

The COVID-19 virus is primarily

transmitted through infected droplets

in the air when someone sneezes,

speaks or coughs. You can also pick

the virus from infected surfaces and

then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth,

increasing the probability of infections

of the eye, along with the nose

and mouth.

The new strains of the novel coronavirus

(in India) are known to infect the

conjunctiva. Unlike normal conjunctivitis,

which usually affects both your

eyes, conjunctivitis with COVID-19

is seen predominantly in one eye. It

may be accompanied by constant

eye irritation and sensitivity to light.


HEALTH

5. Dry mouth or not enough saliva:

Saliva is the watery, frothy substance

produced in your mouth that helps in

digestion and keeps your teeth and

mouth moist and healthy. When sufficient

saliva is not produced by the

concerned glands (salivary glands), it

leads to a condition called dry mouth,

which can lead to tooth and gum diseases

and make you susceptible to

infections. Dry mouth is now a common

and initial symptom of COVID-19.

Since the oral cavity (mouth) is a potential

entry point for the novel coronavirus,

it can attack the tissues and

mucus lining your oral cavity, resulting

in decreased saliva production

and thus, dry mouth. Like the dry

mouth, other oral manifestations of

the coronavirus infection could be

a dry tongue, changes in the colour

and texture of your tongue, sores or

blisters, and difficulty in eating.

6. Diarrhoea: Diarrhoea or loose watery

stools is one of the widespread

symptoms seen in COVID-19 patients

during the second wave. Reports

suggest most individuals affected

with COVID-19 complained of persistent

diarrhoea for 1 to 14 days, with

an average duration of 5 days. Since

diarrhoea is not usually thought to

be a symptom of COVID-19 and can

be a result of other digestive issues,

there is a delay in getting tested for

COVID-19 and hence, a delay in the

identification of potential COVID-19

positive patients.

7. Headache: Sudden headaches can

be a symptom of COVID-19. A normal

headache that continues for a long

time and does not subside with painkillers,

is being reported as one of the

newer symptoms seen during the

second COVID-19 wave.

8. Skin rashes: Recent studies have

highlighted skin rashes as a new

symptom of COVID-19. Patients have

reported rashes on their hands and

feet, which are usually called acral

rashes. Studies suggest that these

rashes can develop as a result of the

immunological response to the virus.

9. Unexplained fatigue: Many people

who tested positive for COVID-19 have

reported feeling tired and fatigued

prior to developing any other symptoms.

In fact, in some cases, people

don’t have any other symptoms other

than feeling fatigue and tired.

If you develop any of the above

symptoms, do not panic!

It is advisable to isolate yourself from

other family members and get yourself

checked for COVID-19, after consulting

your doctor. Additionally, if you

have difficulty in breathing, tightness

in the chest or chest pain, pale or

blue-coloured skin, a sudden loss of

speech or movement, or new confusion,

seek medical care immediately.

This new COVID could last for three

months, six months or even nine

months.

Safety precaution.

Photos Supplied.

A question we often ask during this

time is why is the Corona virus spiking

in certain areas or at certain times

and what can we do about it?

COVID WAVES : What causes a

spike in coronavirus cases?

So far during the pandemic, several

factors have had an impact on

whether new COVID-19 cases are increasing

or declining in particular

locations. These factors include the

effectiveness of vaccines over time,

human behavior, infection prevention

policies, changes to the coronavirus

itself, and the number of people who

are vulnerable because they have not

developed some immunity, whether

from natural infection or through vaccination.

For instance, a large spike in U.S.

COVID-19 cases occurred over the

winter months of 2020–21 when people

traveled and gathered for the winter

holidays. The arrival of FDA-authorized

vaccines in December 2020 helped

bring new infection levels back down

in many areas through the spring of

2021.

86 APRIL | MAY 2022

HEALTH

Another surge began in July 2021 as

the contagious delta variant began

to circulate and eventually become

dominant. Waning immunity and relaxation

of public policies and infection

prevention measures also played

a role.

Following COVID-19 precautions, such

as getting vaccinated for the coronavirus,

practicing physical distancing,

hand-washing and mask-wearing,

helps to keep viral transmission lower.

It has been observed that cases tend

to rise in areas where:

Fewer people are vaccinated, which

means a large number of people are

vulnerable to infection.

Fewer people are wearing masks.

More people are gathering indoors

to eat, drink, celebrate and socialize

without physical distancing.

Also, places where people live or work

closely together (multigenerational

households, long-term-care facilities,

prisons and some types of businesses)

tend to see more spread of the

coronavirus.

I AM WOMAN 87

HEALTH

Treatments

There is still no understanding of the

virus so treatments are not confirmed

However Prevention is still the best

way to deal with COVID. Here’s what

you can do for now:

• Get vaccinated for COVID-19. Learn

more about the safety and effectiveness

of the COVID-19 vaccines.

• Continue to practice COVID-19

precautions, such as physical

distancing, hand-washing and

mask-wearing, especially in indoor,

public places.

COVID 19 Vaccination.

• Check the CDC’s COVID-19 transmission

map, and stay in touch with

local health authorities, who can

provide information if COVID-19

cases begin to increase in your city

or town.

• Make sure your household maintains

two weeks’ worth of food, prescription

medicines and supplies.

• Work with your doctor to ensure

that everyone in your household,

including children, is up to date on

vaccines.

•

It is therefore important that you are

aware of the most recent COVID-19

symptoms to recognize them, receive

prompt care, and prevent complications.

SOURCE:

Desai, Shikka Heath tips, www.timesofindia.com

COVID-19 Medanta Medica team www.mendata.org

Alexander, Dr Ajay

Diaz, Dr Janet

88 APRIL | MAY 2022

Washing Hands with soap & water.

People practicing Social distancing.

Fijian Sunset off Beqa Island


EST WE FORGET

Susana Evening

Susana Evening pictured with Mother Theresa.

Photo Supplied : Lorraine Evening

In this issue, the Lest We Forget column

focuses on a woman who was

stalwart not only in the Catholic Faith

but also in the Women’s movement as

well as in the indigenous communities.

She was a friend to many yet despite

her position in life she was a mother

to many and a friend to many more

We share the tributes and personal

memories of two of Mrs Susana

Evenings dear friends. We thank the

Archbishop Peter Chong as well as

academic Dr Adi Eci Nabalarua for

allowing us to share their personal

memories of Mrs Susana Evening.

TRIBUTE TO SUSANA EVENING

By Archbishop Peter Chong

The Archdiocese of Suva and Catholic

Women’s League has lost a ‘duru

vesi’ (pillar made from vesi tree).

She is an iconic figure and stalwart

of Catholic Women’s League

as well as the Catholic Church in Fiji.

Originally from Nukuni in Ono-I-Lau

Mrs. Evening was born into a staunch

Methodist family but converted to

the catholic faith when she married

her late husband Mr. William Evening.

Susana passed away on Sunday

April 11 aged 79.

The passing of Mrs. Evening has left

a big vacuum in the Archdiocese of

Suva and the Fiji Catholic Women’s

League. The Fiji Catholic Times records

her commitment and passion for

the mission of the Catholic Women’s

League and the Church: “For many

people the Catholic Women’s League

EST WE FORGET

is Susana and Susan personal memories

of Mrs Susana Evening in this column

is the Catholic Women’s League”.

Her involvement with the church has

seen her travel around the world and

meeting powerful and inspirational

people. In 1979 she met Mother Teresa

on a flight bound for a conference

in Bangalore, India. She also met and

was blessed by the Pope John Paul II.

Mrs. Evening was a recipient of the

Medal of the Order of Fiji and the

Fiji 50th Anniversary of Independence

commemorative medal for

her service to Fiji and its people.

The President of the Fiji Catholic

Women’s League, Oripa Liwaiono

stated that Susana was a faithful

and dedicated servant, she had

a vision for empowering women.

“She was there when the Catholic

Women’s League was established

back in 1960’s and it has been part of

her life for more than four decades.”

“She was a great helper, very talented,

she loved her work in raising funds

for formation of Catholic priests in Fiji.”

Susana has a great sense of humor.

She can play the clown. She has a

number of funny stories that make

people laugh. If you’re looking for an

icebreaker, Susan is the go-to person.

In the recent Catholic Women’s League

Strategic Planning Workshop, Susana

found it a little difficult to make the

paradigm shift into their new Mission


EST WE FORGET

Statement: “The Fiji Catholic Women’s

League promotes the dignity of women

through spiritual formation, consultation,

advocacy and education.”

She found it hard to let go of one her

passions – the annual soli for the seminarians’

tuition.” Old habits die hard.

The annual Catholic Women’s soli is

where Susan is at her best – dancing,

singing, cheering, and making

everyone joyful. Her favorite song

has to be “SUSI – MATAI NI GAUNA”.

She likes to sing the song solo because

it’s about a girl called Susi.

On Saturday evening the women enjoyed

grog and some wine. Susana

came to facilitators’ table and

told us that we were doing a fine job,

then came the hook – ‘can you get

some more wine’. Next morning, I told

Su that I can perform the Cana Miracle

if the wine runs short tonight.

As we rounded off the workshop,

Susana was dancing around with

a ketekete (basket) on her back.

Must be some wine in the ketekete.

Susana danced her way to heaven.

Welcome to real joy of heavenly paradise

Su-where wine does not run out.

On behalf of the Archdiocese of Suva

I convey our sincere condolence

and prayers to the Evening Family.

TRIBUTE TO A DEAR FRIEND

By Dr Adi Eci Kikau Nabalarua

When the call came on Monday morning

the 11th of April, and Lorraine asked to

speak to Eleni first and then to me later, I

knew immediately that something was

amiss. It had to be my dearest friend.

Okay Susana, you left without saying

goodbye. I noticed that in your last

trip to Bau with me to Nadamele two

weeks back, you were quieter than

usual and seemed to enjoy your long

sleep and waking up refreshed in the

mornings. You seemed to be deep

in thought and this time spoke only

when spoken to, yet you seemed to be

reminiscing alot about the Bau of old.

When I asked if all was fine, you said to

me “I’m okay”. The news of your passing

and the manner in which you departed

as it was relayed to me, gave

me a deep sense of comfort, because

I was told you were decked out

in your Sunday best, on Palm Sunday.

You went gracefully and definitely

found your peace with our creator God.

You will be sorely missed by your dearly

loved ones and the wider family that

you came to embrace, especially the

vanua o Naduruvesi and the church

for which you gave so freely and so

tirelessly of yourself. Also by the Women’s

league, the SSV (Soqosoqo Vakamarama),

NCWF(National Council of

Women Fiji), YWCA (Young Women’s

Christian Association) and the countless

groups that will miss your insightful

presence. The women and families

of all the communities you worked

with, will fondly remember Aunty Su or

Nana Su, for your house was a hub of

kindness, warmth, love and open to all.

You were so generous in spirit, kind

hearted, humble, selfless, people

centered, a great advocate

of justice and equality, democracy

and a fearless woman of God.

I looked on you as a close friend, the sister

I never had and a mentor and such

was our closeness I got to know all the

family trees and the connections, because

you made it a point that I should

appreciate all of this. I got to know all

the funerals of all the Catholic Fathers

which you attended from Ra to Namosi,

through to Ba, Sigatoka, Nausori,

Korovou, Natovi, Bua, Savusavu and

Labasa. In the same vein you always

tried not to miss the ordination of the

new priests at their respective stations.

Where possible you made it your

business to also attend the funerals

of league members who had passed

on and unless you were busy elsewhere,

you were always with me at

all my family functions, weddings,

birthdays and funerals included.

The last we spoke I was still in Bau for

a funeral a fortnight ago, and you had

told me that you were going to have a

full body massage, a facial and a manicure,

so that you would look your best

for the upcoming Catholic Women’s

League AGM, held at St Joseph’s Secondary

School. I told you I was happy

for you, and that you should enjoy the

EST WE FORGET

meeting and most importantly rest well.

Your deep sense of loyalty, trust and

commitment to women’s issues was

a beacon of light for those of us following

in your footsteps. Our friendship

was recognized and appreciated

by many, across all walks of life, and

I am immensely proud and grateful

to have been a part of your journey.

I shall miss you dearly but will not

mourn your passing, for your story is a

celebration of your life in all its wholeness

and entirety. You have taught

me so much, and I will remember to

pass on this legacy to our daughters.

Moce mada Susana Evening and rest

well in the arms of our heavenly father.

Vinaka vakalevu na yalo savu,

na loloma kei na veiwekani vinaka.

Eci

Susana Evening at a CWL meeting.

Photos Supplied : Lorraine Evening


I AM WOMAN MAGAZINE Fiji - Issue 18

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?