| The School
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Head Master, Micah
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Main Schoolroom
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Warm Welcome
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 Tuesday, May 30:
School Visit. We are very late in arriving due to car trouble, but entire school population is congregated in one room to greet and honor us.
Our visit is huge to them and we were treated like royalty. Sevu Sevu, Kava ceremony, Leis for some men, prayers and many words from Head Master “Micah.” |
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| Chief & Elders
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School House
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Batibalavu School
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Warm Welcome
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| School Elders
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Kava Crew
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Gift Presenters
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Gift Presenters
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The kava ceremony is one of the central Fijian traditions and is an important ritual in the Fijian culture. The sevu sevu ceremony involves your host requesting the Chief of the village to accept you as a member of the village. You might also be asked to say a few words. This honor, bestowed on you will ensure that you are known by the village elders. The kava ceremony starts with the presentation of the kava you have provided to the chief and mataqali (village elders). When the Chief accepts your gift, your acceptance is confirmed. From that moment on, you are a member of the village, an equal, as if you had grown up in the village. The village Chief and mataqali sit before you and acting on your host's recommendations and welcomes you as a member of their community for the duration of your stay. The ceremonial offering of yaqona (Kava in English) is done in respect of recognition and acceptance of one another, a way to make a stranger become part of the family. |
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| Boys in Skirts & Flowers
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Kava Crew
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Ratu Mannie is asked to Speak for Rotary
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Batibalavu School
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| Official Gift from Chief to Head Master
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Head Mast represented Chief & Jeff represented Placerville Rotary
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Batibalavu School presents traditional Kava Gift
to Placerville Rotary
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Add water to Kava Bag
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| Extracting Elements
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Kava drink squeezed from bag to 1/2 coconut shell drinking cup
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High Grade portions for Chiefs
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Children watching traditional Fijian Kava Ceremony.
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| Fijian Sevu Sevu
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Children watching traditional Fijian Kava Ceremony.
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| Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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| Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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Accepting Traditional Fijian Kava Drink during official welcome
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| Tuesday, May 30: Snack of biscuits, scones and tea by parents. The Mothers were very genuine and caring the way they prepared tea for all of us and served us was very kind. (Fiji has many British traditions like Tea. English is the mandated language in all Fijian Schools) | |||
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Village Priest gives Blessing for Food
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Tea Time!
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Good Eats
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| Good Eats
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Yum!
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Cheers!
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Is this Herbal Tea?
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| Must be Breakfast Tea !
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More then we can eat
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Great Hosts
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Micah was last to eat
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| After our welcome, the Sevu Sevu, and morning Tea, Some of us went to look at the school water system and others toured the school and met the kids. |
Local Song
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| Islands and mountains, sunshine and breeze, Flowers and moonlight, swaying Porlais trees, Forest and rivers, white coral sand, This is my country, this is my Land. Dark were the days when men lived in fear |
Though we are children, soon we will be Teachers and leaders of our country. We'll build Fiji now as God has planned. Make this His country, make this His land. So shall our country be free and strong, |
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