Naulusala, 12, Represents Future Generations At COP23
Timoci Naulusala, 12, is representing the future generations, the whole of the South Pacific and the entire human race at the COP23 in Bonn, Germany next week.
The Naivicula District School Class Seven student, from Tailevu had won the National Climate Change oratory contest in September.
He flies out with his mother, Raijieli Tinai on Tuesday and would be speaking twice at the COP23 on November 6-17.
The trip and participation at the COP23 is his prize. He will be addressing world leaders, climate change activists, and representatives from United Nations agencies, civil societies and non-governmental organisations at Bonn.
He says his message to the participants of COP23 in Bonn is that “climate change is real”.
Timoci said yesterday that he wanted the COP23 audience to know that he was the representative of the future generation.
“I want them to know that that I am not only representing Fiji but the future generations, the whole of the South Pacific and the entire human race,” a confident Timoci said yesterday.
The Class Seven student said he would suggest to world leaders to conduct workshops to their people to create awareness on climate change.
He said what inspired him to participate at the national climate change oratory was when he saw the destruction done by the Tropical Cyclone Winston to his school last year. Timoci thanked UNICEF for sponsoring his trip to Bonn with his mother.
Timoci was accompanied by his parents yesterday for the final preparations for his first trip overseas. His father Onisivoro Sausauwai was thankful of the support that have been made for Timoci’s trip to Germany possible.
“We were told that his trip would be paid for; we’ve had people from Government communicating with us but none of them confirmed details,” Mr Sausauwai said.
“Then UNICEF contacted me to say that they will take over everything from his socks to his return trip to Germany,” he said.
“We are so grateful to Government and UNICEF for their support, provision and understanding.
“Even his mother’s expenses are in- cluded.
“What elese can we say but give praises to God.”
Mr Sausauwai said UNICEF’s Communication Specialist Cate Heinrich would be travelling with Timoci and his mother to Bonn.
“It is such an enormous responsibility for a boy from a small village from Naloto, in Wainibuka to be at an international platform like COP23,” he said.
“He knows what he is going to do at Bonn, he is serious, he knows the expectations of our Prime Minister and he has told us that he is ready to complement his tai, the PM.”
Naivicula is one of the three villages in the yavusa Naloto, in the tikina of Wainibuka in Tailevu.