RAIN poured over Serea in Naitasiri as 21-year-old Kelera Lewalia prepared food beside the Wainimala River.
With the men and youths busy building bilibili (bamboo) rafts for the bilibili-a-thon, Kelera focused on preparing tea and meals to keep them fed as the work continued.
Even when others took a break, Kelera kept working, ensuring everything was ready before the next meal.
Cooking has always been something she loves, and village life gives her plenty of opportunities to put that passion into practice.
As a member of the Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF), she often joins other young people and women in helping with cooking and food preparation during community activities.
Her interest in cooking grew during her school years.
After attending Soloira District School, she went to Naitasiri Secondary School where she learned cooking through the school’s vocational training program.
There she took up catering and hospitality courses, developing her culinary and service skills while exploring food presentation and baking.
Those lessons now find practical use in the village kitchen, where she willingly gives her time to help prepare meals for others.
Kelera lives with her parents and brother and is grateful for the upbringing they have given her.
She values village life for its slower pace and strong sense of community, qualities she believes are gradually fading from society.
The bilibili-a-thon preparations have also given her an opportunity to witness something new.
It is the first time she has seen elders build a bilibili raft with a shelter made from natural materials.
She is familiar with the ordinary rafts that float along the river, but seeing one constructed with a proper shelter has offered her a different perspective on traditional skills.
For her, the experience brings together two things she values – serving her community through food and gaining a better understanding of the traditions that shape village life.
As the rain continued and preparation moved forward, Kelera remained focused on the kitchen finding purpose in a simple act of preparing food.
