No regrets, Grace Road
My advice
THANK you Summer Kakakoro for your very sensible approach to equality and women’s rights in your letter “My Take” in FT 4/3/.
I think a lot of mistakes have been made, most especially taking women from their place in the home as mother of the children.
These are the years in which to take Summer’s advice and pick up those stories of the women who throughout history achieved so much without burning bras and making the men feel uncomfortable.
Create a loving home, give the young ones the best, and when opportunities come outside the home, give honest hard work, and build good relationships with all whom you meet, still keeping the family relationships as first priority.
Yes, there will be setbacks. As Summer says, life isn’t fair. Pick up the pieces and keep going.
So little has been achieved in the years of abrasive feminism.
All of us should value and work for human rights but there are better ways than taking to the streets.
When women were throwing away their bras and shouting in the streets, I was at home bringing up my two boys.
This was my place and my joy; to give them the best upbringing I could manage.
My bra came off in my 50s when I developed a sore in the middle of my back and my nurse friend said ‘”Take it off”.
I just didn’t put it on again. My first boy went to the YWCA Kindergarten in his year before primary school.
The second boy followed him and Adi Davila Toganivalu is still a valued friend.
I joined the kindergarten committee and became chairperson, so I came into contact with more great women such as Amelia Rokotuivuna and Frankie Charlton, president then of the YWCA.
Having been a girl guide, I enrolled my sons into cub scouts at the earliest opportunity and became “Akela’ as the cub leader is known.
When it came to scout age there was no man to be scout leader, so the boys and I moved on together.
I did have admirable assistance over the years from some wonderful men, but the boys and I enjoyed our camping and other great scouting activities.
I shall never forget the scout who, to the derision of his fellows, made us square roti while we sat round the camp fire waiting for the curry to cook.
I had great times too with the young people in the church.
I led the youth on some adventures in the school holidays, visiting other parishes even going to Ovalau and to Vanua Levu from Nabouwalu to Savusavu.
We also learned a lot together about the Bible and our Christian lives in our weekly Friday meetings.
I still meet some of them even now.
In June/July 2000 while our parliamentarians were captive in Veiuto, we held vigil in the Holy Trinity Cathedral for two hours every lunch hour.
It was so cold sitting there, I took to wearing my then one pair of trousers. Thereafter I never wore a dress. I like my legs covered and, boy!, do I appreciate those pockets!
I had trained as a kindergarten/ primary school teacher in the UK before I came to Fiji.
Somehow I found myself being asked to teach tertiary level students and spent many interesting and happy years teaching at our Church College for ministers.
It meant a lot of hard work in preparation for each session and I admit, I never liked going through and marking the “home work” essays!
Through the years I have offered to write minutes for civic and religious organisations, and I have also been, and still am, chairperson of two committees.
Writing minutes has brought me close to some fine religious leaders in Fiji and the Pacific region and I value their friendship, though too many have passed on before me.
I have some fame in Fiji because I entered the competition to design a flag for Fiji in 1970 and shared the prize with Robbie Wilcock, sadly now deceased.
When there was a plan to change the flag nobody seemed to want to change it and because the school books had a little note about the design of the flag, I became wellknown.
I cannot tell you how many times I have had my photograph taken! The best moment came for me when, after their first Olympic win, our sevens team were welcomed in Suva to a sea of blue flags.
Now at 88 years I have no regrets, I feel I have achieved far more than many women, just by being friendly and caring, and honestly working at whatever I do, to the best of my ability. That is how many of the famous women whose stories Summer suggested as good reading came to the top.
TESSA MACKENZIE
Suva
Grace Road
RECENTLY I was in Fiji for nearly five months.
When I heard my friends talking about “True Mart” I got bit inquisitive and wanted to know more about it.
To my surprise I was told these were the latest shopping centres with restaurants etc.
During my stay I visited a few with no regrets at all. I started my teaching career at Nakaulevu Indian School (now Rampur Institute).
I remember the land next to our school was so swampy and boggy that hardly any bullock could graze there.
Today to my utmost surprise I found the same area under concrete and a huge building consisting a medical clinic, supermarket, restaurant, service station, car wash, nursery and even ATM installed.
I was so impressed with the staff, quality food and the neatness of the surroundings that I visited this restaurant several times during my stay.
At a later stage I also visited their rice farming area in Navua.
Once again was stunned to see the huge developments that included the modern techniques applied to rice farming, their nurseries, poultry farm etc.
What surprised me most is where big companies such as Fiji Pastoral Co. Viti Corp, FNU failed this Korean group is so successful.
After reading in the social media and also the main newspaper came to learn that Grace Road is under some sort of investigations.
Well this is the prerogative of any government and by all means it should proceed if there is any evidence.
On the other hand, a few days ago I also read a statement given by the chairman of Grace Road Group.
He is fully prepared to cooperate with any such investigations.
It is also revealed that this group employs 700 of our locals.
One key factor of his success story is that he reinvests his profits to expand this business.
The chairman also says that he pays income tax and no money is transferred offshore.
Well I presume that RBF and FRCS will be very much in picture when such investigations proceed.
In the meantime, let us have patience and wait for the result.
VIJAY MAHARAJ Sydney, Australia