1 week Ago By JOHN KAMEA
On a day featuring showers of blessings and intermittent sunshine, former students, teachers, pastors and school officials of Nelson Palmer SDA Memorial Primary School gathered in Salaiba, Navosa to celebrate the institution’s 100th birthday. While the province of Nadroga/Navosa is synonymous with tourism and the famous Coral Coast, Navosa remains feral, with the region significantly less developed than the villages on the coast. The best way to absorb the wonders of Navosa is by taking a bus ride or guided safari tour up Sigatoka Valley Road.
Here you will marvel at the fertile riverbanks and the variegated commercial crops in the fields that have fed communities and families for generations and influenced the name “Salad Bowl”. Navosa is an area of where emerald vegetation, cascading rivers, deep gorges and rugged slopes abound, providing contrasting geographical features that tickle and elevate the senses. The rugged and mist-crowned mountainous in the north edges towards Viti Levu’s heartland and the Navosa-Ba border.
A few kilometres past Keiyasi Village, at the government station in Vatumali, there’s a police station, a state-of-the-art Navosa sub-divisional hospital, a high school and Ronitesh Supermarket and restaurant, where I grabbed an ice cream and freshly baked loaves during a brief stopover . From Vatumali, the winding graveled road will take you to a place locals call Natayo, where buses turn from on their dusty runs from coast to hinterland. The Sunday Times team veered off the main road from Natayo and had its first taste of real adventure while crossing the river.
There was no crossing to Salaiba so we did it like the locals and crossed the shallowest part of the river in our 4WD. Nelson Palmer is situated on the banks of the Sigatoka river near the old access road called ‘Salaiba’ (meaning road to Ba). Here, the land is adequately watered and organically fertilized; farming becomes irresistible and a tempting.
Five days a week, students of Nelson Palmer, from as young as Year 1, are forced to wade across the river to reach school. They share this water highway on a daily basis with other villagers, vehicles and horses. “In our days, we’d come in our suwai, walk our metal Billy cans across the river, place them on the other side before returning to get our books and uniforms,” 72-year-old former student, Sereima Donu, said.
“Once every item reaches the other side of the river, we’d take off our wet suwai, hang them on the fence and put on our uniforms before going to classroom which were made of bamboo walls and corrugated iron roof.” At the gate, were two towering mocemoce trees that stood obediently with nails on them. These were used to hang Billy cans, the forerunner of today’s plastic lunchboxes.
“We walked barefoot and had no bags. We literally had to carry books in our hands or had them in plastic bags,” Sereima said. “Going to school was a challenge but we knew we had to do it every day in order pass our exams, get a job and support our community.
” Sereima went on to become a registered nurse and served in many rural parts of the country. “I owe Nelson Palmer a lot because it gave me the chance to have an education and a job, and to be a good citizen,” Sereima said. Last Saturday, everyone gathered at Salaiba for Sabbath fellowship, followed by a sumptuous under-the-tent lunch and an afternoon of storytelling.
Ex-scholars talked about their experiences in school from the belting their received from their angry teachers to the soapy mouth wash they had to endure when caught swearing. “One thing I will always remember about Waiyala (former name of Nelson Palmer) is the Bible classes I had to go through,” Merekeleni Vutevute said. “In 1987 I came back to Waiyala to teach.
I got married to a landowner a year later and returned in 1993 after the aftermath of cyclone Kina.” Former teacher, Savenaca Ramakosoi, said Waiyala made him get close to God. He emphasized the importance of keeping the family together and nurturing children in the ways of the Lord.
“Remember our children are not ours. They are God’s gift to us and as stewards, we must teach them for the kingdom and for the life after death. We are accountable to God.
” Mr Ramakosoi went on to become the SDA Church’s education director. The oldest ex-scholar who attended the 100th birthday school reunion was Vatubalavu-born Lesayani Lewavaro who attended Class 1 at Nelson Palmer before pursuing higher education at Nasaucoko. She unveiled the commemorative plaque together with SDA Church president, Pastor Nasoni Lutunaliwa.
Pastor Lutunaliwa represented his dad, former student Sakiusa Sugumai, who is in his 80s. Mr Sugumai could not make it to the school reunion because of frail health. Last Sunday was the reunion’s main celebration day.
It featured, among others, a huge school feast and a fundraising drive in which $36,000 was collected to help build the school’s new classroom block. “The reunion was indeed a touching occasion to see the ex scholars, ex workers and their children coming to celebrate and commemorate the 100 Years Anniversary. Ex scholars travelled from nearly all over Fiji and overseas just come and attend the milestone occasion,” Head of School, Gavidi Taukeimaimuri Jr said.
“Their contribution towards the school in the past and during the celebration is highly appreciated. The fundraising drive collected $36,000 that will be used to complete the newly built computer lab and library. It is my prayers that God will continue to bless the ex-scholars, ex-students and everyone that contributed toward the development of the school and the growth of Adventist Education in Fiji.
” The school has six teachers (four females and two males) and 132 students. It started in Draiba Village in 1924, at a time when indigenous Fijians were still grappling with the nitty gritty of Christianity and the new political order. Over the past 100 years, it has grown to become a beason of hope and enlightenment for the people of Navosa.
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