TEN years ago, Greg Randin arrived in Dawasamu, Tailevu as a 19-year-old volunteer.
He barely spoke English, had never taken a cold shower and felt like he was on Mars.
Today, the French-born anthropologist is a familiar figure on Suva’s streets and on social media – trading jokes in fluent Fijian, drawing crowds of all ages, and holding attention in a space where most messages are scrolled past in seconds.
But the laughter is deliberate.
Randin has harnessed humour to engage young Fijians on education, culture and the growing dangers of drugs like meth and ice – embedding serious conversations in street quizzes and skits that feel anything but official.
“If it feels official, people swipe,” he says.
“They watch because it’s funny, then the message goes in.”
In this Sunday’s edition, Randin speaks about the strategy behind the laughs, the criticism he has faced, and why, in today’s Fiji, attention may be the most powerful currency of all.
