A SCHOOL has recently celebrated the rich culture from the Fiji islands as a teacher, family and friends from the island were welcomed.
On Tuesday, October 10, the children at Wellington Lions Primary Academy were taught about the lovo, an earth oven which was invented to cook food for large gatherings in Fiji. First, a small pit is created and then, using firewood and large stones collected from the riverbed beside the school, an earth oven was created for the pupils.
Wellington Lions Primary Teacher, Mrs Handley-Wells, said: “We are so grateful to our Fijian community, within our school and local community, without them this day would not have been possible.
"It was wonderful to see our pupils so engrossed in all of the days events, even getting involved with singing and clapping along to the music in the final assembly. We hope to welcome more cultures into the school moving forward, with this being our first ever Fiji day the bar was set extremely high.”
Mrs Liganimeke brought in a bag of artefacts that she had collected from her homeland Fiji and among the many artefacts were necklaces made of trees and shells, along with a large shell, flower garlands and fans.
Each class took it in turns to explore and learn about the items.
The day ended in a celebratory welcoming ceremony, with dances and songs, including the national anthem and a variety of Fijian songs. Kava, the traditional drink which is considered an honour and the drink was passed around to all in the welcoming ceremony.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here