YOUNG people from across Navosa were given a platform to connect and celebrate as the Navosa Youth Festival brought together sport, entertainment, information and community engagement.
The festival formed part of Fiji’s national celebration of International Youth Day and included booths where organisations and businesses shared information and services with young people from the province.
Rugby matches, entertainment and other activities added to the celebrations, creating a space where young people could take part, discover opportunities and connect with organisations working in their communities.
During the celebration, Youth and Sports Minister Jese Saukuru officially handed over gym equipment to Navosa Central College, which will also be used by the Navosa Rugby Union.
For Mr Saukuru, the festival represented more than a day of activities.
“This is your day, this is your platform and this is your opportunity,” he told young people from Navosa and Nadroga.
Different backgrounds, shared aspirations
International Youth Day is observed globally on August 12 each year.
This year’s theme, “Different Contexts Common Aspirations”, reflects the different experiences of young people while recognising the aspirations they share.
Saukuru said young people came from different islands, villages, schools, communities, cultures and backgrounds. They also faced different challenges.
But beneath those differences were common hopes and dreams.
“They want dignity, they want opportunities, they want quality educational skills, they want decent employment and meaningful livelihoods,” he said.
Young people also wanted to participate in decisions affecting their lives, to be healthy, safe and respected, and to be heard.
Young people as contributors
For the Minister, young people should not be viewed only as future leaders.
He acknowledged the contribution young Fijians were already making in rural and maritime communities, towns and cities, schools, workplaces, sporting fields and youth clubs.
“We see young people stepping forward and lead community activities, we see young people learning new skills, we see them taking part in sport, we see young entrepreneurs creating opportunities for themselves and others and we see young people speaking up on issues that matter to their communities,” he said.
Although individual contributions could sometimes appear small, Saukuru said they made a difference when brought together.
“Our young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow, you are leaders and contributors today,” he said.
That belief sits at the centre of the Ministry of Youth and Sports’ approach, with youth development and sports development serving as two important ways of reaching young people.
Saukuru said youth development was about more than organising programs.
“It is about creating pathways. It is about building confidence; it is about developing leadership. It is about giving young people skills, knowledge, values, and opportunities.”
Sport, he said, also carried lessons beyond competition.
“It teaches discipline, it teaches teamwork, it teaches resilience, it teaches respect, it teaches young people how to win with humility and how to lose with dignity.”
From a conversation to reality
The Navosa Youth Festival was also a fulfilment of a request made during Saukuru’s visit to Nukuilau Village.
During that visit, he was asked whether a youth festival could be held in Navosa.
“My answer was a simple yes and today, we are here,” he said.
The festival turned that conversation into an event bringing young people together through sports, cultural activities, skills training, exhibitions and community activities.
For Saukuru, such festivals provide spaces where young people can feel valued and discover their talents, while communities can begin conversations about difficult issues affecting them.
“These festivals are much more than sporting competitions,” he said.
They bring together sport, culture, leadership, awareness, community engagement and conversations around issues affecting young people.
Partnerships behind the festival
Saukuru acknowledged the support of the New Zealand High Commission in Fiji and the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA, for supporting the youth festival around the country.
He described the support as more than financial or logistical assistance.
“It is an investment in our young people, it is an investment in communities, and it is an investment in the future of Fiji,” he said.
He also acknowledged the wider cooperation between Fiji and New Zealand, including the renewed commitment under the Duavata partnership in areas such as social wellbeing and community development.
The Minister also recognised the role of religious organisations, particularly the Methodist Church of Fiji, along with other churches and faith-based organisations working with communities.
He said churches had a unique reach because they were present in villages, settlements, schools and communities, giving them an ability to influence values, families and young people’s choices.
Positive outcome
Nausori Highland youth Ivamere Finau said the Youth Festival was a valuable opportunity to meet other young people from across the province and learn new things.
She said the build-up to the festival also gave her the opportunity to take part in a training program which broaden her understanding on starting her own business in the village.
Joave Doidoi of Draiba Village in the district of Namataku said the festival gave him an opportunity to showcase the products he had made during a youth training program.
He said it was rewarding to display the materials they had worked on and see people take an interest in the printed patterns they made through their tie-dye and soap-making training.
And at the heart of the celebration was a simple message: young people may come from different places and face different circumstances, but their aspirations are shared.
The Navosa Youth Festival gave those aspirations a platform.
Youth and Sports Minister, Jese Saukuru (with garland) with stakeholders and youths during the opening of the Navosa Youth Festival at Vatureba Park in Navosa on Thursday. Picture: ANA MADIGIBULI
A few of the tie-dye graduates who were part of the Navosa Youth Festival at Vatureba Park in Navosa.
Picture: ANA MADIGIBULI
People from around Navosa took advantage of the services offered at the Navosa Youth Festival this week. Picture: ANA MADIGIBULI
A set of new gym equipment were also handed over to Navosa Central School and the Navosa Rugby Union during the festival. Picture: ANA MADIGIBULI
