Rabuka Inspires Event With Life Challenges, Difficulties
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka inspired participants at the Global Recycling Day (GRD) 2023 Symposium at the Sheraton Golf Fiji Beach Resort on Saturday to drive home the message of protecting the environment.
“I am a recycled Prime Minister,” Mr Rabuka said.
He was emotional while delivering his speech. The theme of the GRD was ‘Plastic-free Pacific: a plea.’
Mr Rabuka used his life experiences to drive home the need to protect the country and its environment.
“I was in the wilderness. I was like a waste material and had to go through the process of recycling. Now I am a new PM,” Mr Rabuka said.
He said when the former PM Voreqe Bainimarama took away his pension and benefits; he turned to collecting empty plastic bottles along sea walls to help survive.
“They gave me a big bag where I used to fill up the plastic bottles. I used to collect bottles at the seawall and fill up these bags. When they are filled I used to take them to the recycler. Today I still have the big bags in my house,” he said.
“That is why today, recycling is close to my heart,” Mr Rabuka said. He commended Pacific Recycling Foundation founder and the chief executive officer of Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited, Amitesh Deo and the foundation.
“There are practitioners who care for the nation and the universe. We all need to be practitioners. Practice what we preach. You do things that will better our future. I thank you for that. The work of the Pacific Recycling Foundation Founder and the CEO of Waste Recyclers Fiji Limited has been exemplary in waste management.” He said the event marked an historical day for recycling advocates n Fiji. “Whenever history will be recounted,
March 18, 2023 will be remembered as the day despite the push back and be trivialised, a group of recycling advocates
managed to bring together likeminded and passionate individuals to start a new journey of recycling of movement building in recycling and waste management,” he said.