Wohlers Talk Blog

An Unforgettable Experience

I found myself standing in the center of a remote village of 500 inhabitants in the South Pacific. No streets, automobiles, supermarkets, or convenient stores. Women were on the ground preparing small fires, cooking, and weaving floor mats. Small children were playing while domestic animals wandered among them.

Thirty minutes earlier, I was standing at the shore near a dirt airstrip in Malolo, Fiji. I was about to walk around the small, isolated island when a man, maybe in his early 60s, approached me. “Would you like to visit my village?” he asked, as he pointed across the bay toward the larger section of the island, attached only by a shallow reef that appears when the tide recedes.

Moments later, I found myself on a small boat with him, along with the apparent owner of the boat, and an old, rusty lawn mover that the man was transporting to the village. He explained that we was the head of the village, an elected position similar to a mayor. I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me and I really didn’t know what I was getting myself in to. My instincts told me that he was being truthful and that it might be an interesting experience, maybe even adventurous.

I understood that it was a very short boat ride, maybe five minutes, and a 30-minute walk when I was ready to return. Fifteen minutes later, and with the outboard motor at full throttle, we were headed out to sea. This made me uneasy. It turned out that we were navigating around some shallow areas and we eventually headed toward land. Even so, it was much further away than I had anticipated and it would likely take a couple hours by foot with the water at low tide.

Soon after we arrived, he picked up a very large knife and began to sharpen it on the edge of a concrete step. Were he and his family going to have me for lunch? I had read that cannibalism was practiced in this region of the world years ago, but hoped that times had changed. I thought to myself, no, this can’t be. He instructed me to pick up a long stick that was laying in the grass a few meters away, which I did. He then used it to knock a couple mangos out of a mango tree that he was standing under. He sliced one up and offered a piece to me. Not knowing whether the knife blade was clean, I politely declined.

As we stood near what looked like the center of the village, the man, named Jona, pointed out the chief’s home. He explained that the chief is the head of a multi-island region and the most important individual among the people of these islands. His home was, by far, the largest and nicest in the village. Jona pointed out that someone would beat a large, hollowed out log with wood clubs when the chief returns. This is to alert everyone of his presence.

About 97% of the Fijian population are Christian and Methodist is the most popular denomination. A Methodist church stood nearby and Jona said I could have a look, so I did. He wanted to show me the school, and on the way, we walked past the village hospital. It was a small and rectangular structure, which employed one doctor and one nurse. I snapped pictures, including one of a large sow that was about to give birth to pigs. He described the animal as a pet, but I’m not so sure.

I spent 15-20 minutes at the school talking with the assistant principal, a man likely in his late 20s. He was very proud of what the school had a achieved since he arrived from the mainland of Fiji five years ago. Out of 69 schools in the district, the school is now ranked fifth academically. English is the second language on the island, but all teaching and communication with and among students is in English by the third term of school. They start school at age 5.5 and end at age 14. After that, they go to the mainland for high school.

The library had few books and all were in English. A room next to it was a computer lab, which I was surprised to find. The homes and way of life in the village are very basic, so I was not expecting to see computers anywhere. There were about eight of them, but with no Internet connection. They are hoping to add it soon. The computer lab and library opened up to a football/rugby field, with a grove of trees and the shore just beyond it. The conditions were as simple as they could get, but the views were spectacular. 

After seeing the school, Jona invited me into his home where he presented me with six sea shells, some rather large and impressive. To this day, I don’t know why he invited me to his village and gave these gifts to me. Maybe it was his was of reaching out, hoping that I might remember his kindness and tell others, as I am doing now. Before meeting Jona, I had read about and later experienced the kindness and cheery nature of the Fijian people. During my short time in there, many locals introduced themselves and a number of them remembered my name over a span of days.

In many places of the world, including the U.S., you wouldn’t get into a boat with complete strangers. Part of me questioned whether it was a good idea that day in Malolo. I’m glad I did because I’ll never forget my visit to this small village. My time with Jona and his people reminded me how much we have and how much we take for granted. He and others, includ ing the school children, did not seem to miss these luxuries. The next time I’m having a bad day, I’ll try to remember this special day in the South Pacific.

Copyright 2010 by Terry Wohlers