It’s Sunday, July 28, and Aldabra is still anchored at Ogea. The wind has been blowing the last couple of days so we’ve pretty much being hanging out on the boat. But two days ago, on Friday, we were invited to attend a celebration in the village. We were told to arrive by 10:00 a.m., so Katrina from Womble, Laura from RaLa and Jeff and I trudged in the pouring rain to the village, less than an hour walk. I was worried the whole time that the school supplies I was carrying in my backpack might be getting wet. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
When we arrived at the school, the children were rehearsing their dancing and the adults and children were making preparations. We were asked just to sit and wait in chairs out of the rain. But the music and dancing in one of the classrooms was so infectious that Jeff ended up joining in with the boys who were rehearsing. And the other three of us took pictures and took in our surroundings. We also chatted with several of the students as they gathered around us and asked questions.
Hanging out with the school kids
Soon, a man came with dry clothes for Jeff and had him change in one of the school rooms. Shortly thereafter, a woman came with dry clothes for Katrina, Laura and me and insisted that we change as well. It’s just one example of the hospitality and kindness of the Fijian people.
Jeff in his borrowed clothes being adopted by a village dog
Once the celebration started, we learned that it was twofold. Around the country, schools had been celebrating ECE, early childhood education. The village celebration on Ogea was a few days late because they had been waiting for the supply boat to bring provisions. With this delay, they could also commemorate Fijian Navy Day, which was being celebrated around Fiji that same day. This was relevant because there were several big strapping Fijian Navy sailors staying in the village. They were there because the boat they were serving on had run up on the reef at nearby Vulaga Island. It took a while, but the boat was finally towed to Ogea where they are waiting for a barge to collect it and take it for repairs in Australia. The sailors are remaining on the island to look after the boat until then. Once the boat is gone, they will return to their base on the main island of Fiji. But for now, they feel like they are on vacation as they enjoy being honored guests of the village.
Speeches honoring the sailors and welcoming us ensued, along with a religious invocation and speeches presumably about the Navy and early childhood education. We don’t know exactly what was said because it was all in Fijian. After the speeches, the older boys and girls performed dance routines separately. (The children here stay at the school until age 13, at which time they transfer to schools in Suva, the main city in Fiji.) Some adult women also performed a dance.
School girls dancing. Video courtesy Jeff Fredricks
Women dancing. Photo courtesy Jeff Fredricks
But the featured entertainers were the five-year-olds. Having just “graduated” from pre-school and poised to enter kindergarten, these seven small children were enlisted to perform about three times. They sang and danced and said something about themselves. Then each represented (in traditional costume) the heritage of people who can be found living in Fiji: Maori, Samoan, Chinese, Indian, Tongan, African Fijian.
The pre-schoolers. Navy sailors seated behind them. Photo courtesy Jeff Fredricks
The children in costume.
After the performances, we were roped into a bit of dancing before enjoying a Fijian feast for lunch: pork, fish, chicken, cassava, taro, a noodle dish and some vegetables. It was delicious, but way more than any of us could eat. We had taken some banana bread and flapjacks to share and presumably they were given to the children. Prior to lunch we were treated with some kava.
Laura and I drinking Kava in our borrowed clothes. Courtesy Jeff Fredricks
A little bit of dancing. Photo courtesy of Katrina Ibbotson.
Laura, Katrina and I at lunch. Photo courtesy of Jeff Fredricks
Jeff eating with the head teacher. Men drinking kava in the background. Photo courtesy of Katrina.
Before we left, we gave the head teacher some schools supplies and coloring books, along with a soccer ball. And we gave them a small cash donation toward the purchase of a Fijian flag for their flagpole. We started our walk back to the boat around 1:30, feeling very honored to have participated. By then the sun had come out and it was a very nice walk back to the anchorage.
