I STILL remember the first-day Vunilagi Book Club started in Nanuku Settlement in Vatuwaqa.
A few volunteers gathered with Mariana Waqa who started the reading sessions.
This was the first of its kind to begin in our settlement and the children were curious. It took some time for the children and community to get used to but eventually, the book club became
successful.
As a mother and volunteer living in Nanuku, I learned that the children had their own gifts and they all became very special to me.
They appreciated the extra love and care that we showed them and enjoyed the reading, drawing, singing, playing games, eating fruit, and drinking water.
It is important to engage with the children through these activities, but it requires a lot of love and patience. Sometimes it is challenging to deal with personality differences, some are
very quiet while others are hyper.
There weretimes where I had to use my loud voice and stern facial expressions to settle the children when they got too excited.
A child requires patience and we have to be creative in the ways we engage them, otherwise, they can easily lose interest.
This is why building a loving and trusting relationship with them is necessary for them to grasp our teachings.
As a parent, I am proud of what Vunilagi has done to the community that I live in. Before the book club, I would see children running around unsupervised on Saturdays, but on weeks we have a reading session, you will find the church full of children, volunteers, and books.
I am being challenged by things I learn through my volunteer work with Vunilagi. I see that children have their own capabilities, sometimes a child who cannot read is actually a good singer or dancer. God’s gift in a child should never be underestimated.
The Vunilagi reading sessions have helped some of the children improve in their grades and parents have come home to say thank you for allowing their children to be part of the club.
I always tell them that children from all ethnic groups and religions are welcome!
One issue we continue to face is the lack of parental support, which means Vunilagi relies a lot on volunteers outside Nanuku to read with the children. But this doesn’t stop Vunilagi from
promoting literacy in the community.
I believe that educating the children of Nanuku is the key to taking families towards a better and brighter future. If our children know how to read, it means that they can work hard, get
good jobs, and travel to places they have heard or seen in their storybooks.
I am grateful for all the hardworking volunteers who made it to Nanuku in the last two years. I would also like to thank the silent supporters who have donated books and finances to keep the
book club running. My final words are to parents around Fiji, I want to encourage you to read to your children at home – you are their first teachers.
* Rokoiga Soweri is a parent living in Nanuku Settlement and a passionate volunteer with Vunilagi Book Club.
