Naboutini Village is a small yet thriving community in the province of Serua be- longing to Yavusa o Burenitu.
The village sits alongside the picturesque Somosomo Bay where it is nestled somewhere between Navua town and Sigatoka Town on the Coral Coast.
For the past 28 years, the people of Naboutini i have been coming together every June to raise funds for much needed developments in their village.
However, this year was a bit different. For the very first time, the women of Naboutini had volunteered to spearhead fundraising efforts.
The decision to have women lead the fundraising event was a significant move. In iTaukei culture, men have traditionally played a dominant role in communal activities, including fundraising events.
By stepping forward to lead the campaign, the women of Naboutini Village challenged traditional gender roles and showed their strength, determination, and leadership skills. Verenaisi Rasedra, liuliu ni soqosoqo Vakamarama ni Naboutini (women’s leader), expressed So- her gratitude to both God and the people from different walks of life for their enormous support.
According to her, all the collected money would go towards the development and maintenance of the village, in particular the construction of footpaths, seawall, renovation of the village’s kindergarten classroom, and other essential projects.
Ms Rasedra said the support they received this year had significantly exceeded their expectations, and they were deeply grateful for the kindness of strangers.
“The money collected will be allocated for projects that would enhance the wellbeing and quality of life in their village. This includes improving the essential infrastructure and amenities,” she said.
The people of Naboutini were thrilled with this years’s fundrasising and look forward to seeing the village developments that would be carried out.
Ms Rasedra said funds would be spent wisely and efficiently and this has been well received and has inspired the community.
It was a heartwarming moment for 61-year-old Vilisi Tave when the committee announced the opportunity for women in Naboutini.
She seized the chance to express her gratitude to the committee for their brilliant idea.
Ms Tave, who had left her village many years ago to start a family, couldn’t be happier to come back and support a worthy cause.
According to her, “this opportunity was not only a chance to raise funds for the village development but also an opportunity for the women who had moved away to reconnect with their roots”.
Ms Tave shared that she had many fond memories of growing up in Naboutini and was ecstatic at the prospect of giving something back to the community that had given her so much.
She said the event was a roaring success, with women from all corners of the Fiji coming back to the village to contribute to the cause. Similar sentiments were echoed by many other women who felt the same sense of pride and joy in being able to contribute to village development.
For the women who had left their village to embark on new journeys, this event provided a unique opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.
The committee was touched by the overwhelming response and praised the women of Naboutini for their generosity and solidarity.
The success of this event goes to show that no matter where life takes you, your roots will always remain firmly planted in your home ground.
The women have rallied together for a fundraising day that resulted in a collection of over $20,492.60, exceeding their target and leaving them feeling thrilled and full of satisfaction.
These women were determined to make a difference in their village and their excellent efforts have paid off in more ways than one.
The annual fundraiser event this year was particularly heartwarming, as the men in the community stepped up to the plate and showed their support for the women and their cause.
While the women were putting all their effort into preparing for the event, the men busied themselves by cooking delicious meals to ensure that the ladies were well fed and taken care of.
It was truly a beautiful sight to see how, as the community came together in harmony to support each other and their shared mission.
This event was a reminder that when we work together, we can achieve great things, and that gender roles should not limit anyone’s ability to contribute positively to our community.
The men of the community, by their actions, showed that being a team player and having empathy and compassion are qualities that should be celebrated and emulated.
These women were determined to make a difference in their village and their excellent efforts have paid off in more ways than one.
The success of the fundraising event was a testament to the strength of resilience, and leadership of the women of Naboutini Village.
By leading the charge, they proved that women can be effective leaders and agents of change in their communities.
Their efforts also highlighted the importance of community spirit and working together towards a common goal.
Naboutini Village is a shining example of a community that is proud of its culture and traditions while embracing progress and development.
The women of Naboutini have shown that they can lead fundraising efforts and bring a community together to achieve a common goal.
The future of Naboutini Village is bright, and its people will undoubtedly continue to work hard to ensure that their community thrives for generations to come.
As the famous Seru expression of Naboutini goes: “Isa na toba o Somosomo qi dau matecia ju (Isa Somosomo Bay, the place where I always long to be)”.
• AVENAI SERUTABUA is a youth human rights activist and mental health advocate from Nabukelevu Village in Serua.The views expressed in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.
