A former evangelist’s dream of one day forming small villages for those who have been hurt and scarred by the reality of life was slowly coming into being.
Sakeasi Salababa, originally from the province of Ba, had adopted this idea after a trip to Israel where he noticed the traditional kibbutz, and decided to bring this idea into being in Fiji – Fijian style.
The Fiji Times reported on November 10, 1985, that Mr Salababa had planned to form totally new villages that would be springing up in rural areas with members toiling the land communally and marketing the fruits of their toil.
He saw crops and livestock farming, small cottage industries and fishing projects as possible commercial enterprises.
While the Government treaded cautiously on the question of youth camps, Mr Salababa was half-way there.
In 1980, he launched his Christian Youth Development Association (CYDA) of Fiji after a rift with the Methodist Church.
He was the church’s director of evangelism – a rising star but unpopular in some quarters.
He treaded on a few toes and ruffled a few feathers. He was eventually defrocked a year later and was just a plain Mr Salaba.
But plain Mr Salababa took things in stride.
He pursued his dreams with new vigour and dedication. With a handful of members, he launched the CYDA at his Waila home near Nausori. Fast-forward five years, he had attracted around 22,000 members all over the country who were actively involved in the pursuit of a better life.
He had a very impressive list of his office bearers, with the former governorgeneral and the Vunivalu of Bau, Ratu Sir George Cakobau, as patron and the governor-general Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau as president.
His latest supporterthe was prime minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, who indicated his approval of Mr Salababa’s work when he attended the association’s fifth anniversary celebration.
Another admirer was the president-elect of the Methodist Church, the Rev Josateki Koroi.
Ratu Sir Kamisese was so impressed with the association’s achievements that he committed the Government to help in funding a headquarter for it.
“We have just completed our first five-year plan,” Mr Salababe said.
“In our next five-year plan, we will set up our own villages. The villages will do their own farming and will be self-sufficient. It will be based on the Israeli Kibbutz but adapted to suit the local situation.”
Mr Salababa was impressed with the Kibbutz system when he visited Israel in 1974. He had always thought the system could be adopted in Fiji.
After the first five years of CYDA, his beliefs were unshakable.
“Ideally, we would want whole families in the Kibbutz so that young children can be brought up into this system.
“Our members now are young men and women, where most of them are victims of the harsh reality of life.
“It took a lot of picking up trying to mould them at this late age.”
He said that quite a number of his members were rehabilitated prisoners, a couple of them convicted of serious crimes such as manslaughter, robbery and violence.
In Mr Salababa’s Kibbutz, members would initially learn to subsist on the land but eventually will venture into commerce.
With the money the Kibbutz earned, small business and investments were set up.
Only members of this Kibbutz were employed in these ventures.
A proposition that was immediately attractive to Mr Salababa was that of a mobile butchery, selling meat to villages and other rural settlements.
The livestock would be brought from the villages. They would then be sent to the slaughter house at Nasinu and then meat would be sold by its members.
“This is happening at the very moment on a very small scale, but we plan to develop this concept. When we have the money, we will buy freezers and vehicles to run around villages and settlements.”
About 200 of the CYDA had gone through their training at the Waila camp. The duration of the camp ranged from three to two years. Members were trained in business, culture, social and, importantly, spiritual matters.
The Waila camp was called the School of Motivation. It had its pre-school setup for infants and members were taught basic hygiene, family planning and basic home economics.
After the completion of the course, participants were sent back to the village and were guided and encouraged to put what they learnt into practice.
