AT a cost of more than $200,000, the large community bure (meeting hall) project, was constructed at Conua Primary School in the Sigatoka Valley over a 14-month period.
It is the centrepiece of the village, built to withstand tropical cyclones and has the capacity to accommodate more than 100 people for both school and village meetings and community events.
It was officially opened on November 28 by Minister for Industry, Tourism and Trade Faiyaz Koya and Outrigger Resorts managing director Asia Pacific, Darren Edmonstone, coinciding with Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s 15th birthday.
Over the past year, guests had volunteered their time over one or two days during their holiday to assist the resort’s engineering team with all aspects of the construction phase from basic labour work to more skilled trades.
From a participation fee of $100 for adults and $60 for children, 70 per cent was channelled into the project for building materials while the remaining 30 per cent covered the cost of the full-day excursion.
Parents and their children who took part in the program were able to interact with the local schoolchildren, share a bowl of kava with the local villagers and complete the day with a visit to one of Fiji’s most significant cultural sites, Tavuni Hill Fort.
The project was driven by Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort’s general manager Peter Hopgood.
“Our resort operates as one big vuvale (family) and I think that guests pick up on that and were only too happy to pitch in and help because they felt part of a larger family group and want to give something back to the community,” Mr Hopgood said.
“We have even had corporate groups, social groups and a father and son group from Newport Rugby Club in Sydney come to stay at the resort specifically to make a direct-action contribution to the project,” he said.
As a special surprise at the opening event Outrigger Fiji also contributed four new computers to the school.
Completely overwhelmed, the school headteacher, Loata Finau said the resort’s involvement with the school had been a blessing from God.
“The teachers and schoolchildren were eternally thankful for the generous support from the resort,” she said.
The initiative underpinned Outrigger’s global commitment to provide a deeply engaging holiday experience for its guests and to provide a dedicated commitment to the local culture and community.
