KOLINIO Qarau Samuta’s decision to return to Fiji after 16 years in Australia was guided by a lesson his father taught him as a boy: to never forget where he comes from and his family.
Now 40, Kolinio is the director of Nanumi Au Eco-Village in Navutulevu Village, Rakiraki, Ra, where he hopes to make something meaningful out of the resources available in his village.
A member of the Mataqali Natilivaira, Yavusa Natiliva, Kolinio grew up with a strong sense of belonging.
His grandfather was the Turaga ni Yavusa during his childhood, while his father was the eldest of his grandfather’s children.
As his father’s only son, he carried that responsibility and the advice he received at the age of 12.
“I was told never to forget where I’m from and my people,” he said.
The message stayed with him even as he travelled overseas to represent Fiji in sporting competitions, including the South Pacific Games in New Caledonia, the Pacific Mini Games in the Cook Islands and the Oceania Championship in Australia.
“Everywhere I went, those words from my father always echoed to me,” he said.
Kolinio migrated to Australia in 2010, after meeting his wife in 2009. His wife is from Qamea in Taveuni.
They married in 2012 and spent 16 years building their lives overseas, raising their four sons. Their eldest is now 13 years old.
After establishing themselves abroad, he began thinking about returning home and contributing to the development of his village.
“After a few years of establishing ourselves overseas, I told my wife that before I leave this world, I would like to return to Fiji and make something out of our resources in terms of development,” he said.
The couple made their first move 10 years ago, beginning work on land that had once been used as a sugarcane field.
During their holiday visits to Fiji, they would work on the property, eventually bulldozing the area, building a house and planting trees.
What began as work on a piece of land marked the start of Kolinio’s efforts to develop something in the place he had always been reminded never to forget.
His wife and their four boys now live in Nadi, while his work at Nanumi Au Eco-Village keeps him connected to his roots in Ra.
For Kolinio, the return home is a way of putting into practice the advice that has stayed with him since childhood: to remember his people and use what he has at home to contribute to their progress.
n More about Kolinio’s Eco
Village in The Sunday Times.
