FIJI | Wednesday, 26 June 2013 | Views [712] | View Smaller Image
The east side of the island doesn’t compare to the semi-luxurious eco-resort on the west side of the island. On the east side of the island Wayalailain’s manage their survival through traditional ways of life. These activities include: fishing, gardening, making curios and Fijian clothes for tourists. There are numerous houses made out of wood and corrugated iron and plenty of traditional Fijian Lovo’s. (Fijian Lovo’s are holes in the ground used for cooking food with banana leaves and coals.) Villagers also produce Kava, which is one of the highest selling tourist commodities in the Fiji Islands. (Kava is the root of a pepper plant that is ground into fine powder and then drunk.)
While walking through the village we are intersected by a group of vibrant school children, waving and cheering “Bula, Bula”. Barry the Chief’s son tells us on Wayalailai Island, education is of the utmost importance. “Here children cannot go to the mainland to attend good schools, so we must educate them ourselves. The future of Wayalailai is through the education of our children.”
