Lastest news from Yadua

Over the last few weeks I've heard a bit of news from the island from sources in Fiji, so I'll try and recount some of it here
The bad news is that recently a bunch of outside fishermen have begun pillaging the reefs with legal permits, and I don't think they even bothered to speak to the villagers about this
On a brighter side I have been told that though the financial impact of Greenforce leaving last year was quite substantial, it appears the villagers have coped very well with this and have managed to return comfortably back to life as it was pre-Greenforce. Though they have become much more open to european (i.e. white) visitors
Also the old camp at Nawaisevu (where Greenforce were based) was initially used for other researchers visiting the area, but has now been closed down
The villagers have also set up two committees to deal with issues directly relevant to Yadua:

- The Village Development Committee aims to help solve water problems, establish an electricity supply, and fund school developments and church issues. Their major activities right now are:

1. Creating a water system for the village: They are waiting for the Government to develop this, and the news is that right now they are still working on a few villages on the mainland, but will hopefully arrive soon. It will involve digging a new borehole
2. Generating electricity for the community hall and church: A few years ago some solar cells were installed on the island to power a pump which would provide clean water to Denimanu. Unfortunately this project was never fully completed, and the solar cells lie unused. A researcher on nearby Yadua Taba believes that they could be connected up for around 2,000 FJD

- The Environmental Committee is responsible for activities related to biodiversity conservation, village cleanliness, health issues and protection of traditional knowledge (uses of flora and fauna). Their major priorities right now include:

1. A Beach Cleaning Day: This was recently organised and conducted during the National Youth Day
2. Other plans include: Building proper incinerators to burn rubbish, fencing and cementing the sides of bathing pools, completing a water drainage system and clearing a passage through the reef for boats to pass

The money I raised will be going towards one of more of these projects, and hopefully soon I will be able to give a bit more information on that

Now the serious bit

So now is probably time to explain my reasons for creating this blog
I visited Yadua at the end of 2004 to help study/protect the local reefs through an organisation called Greenforce. It was a fantastic experience and my most lasting memories are of the people there who took us into their families
Unfortunately the organisation I was with ended their project there in early 2005, and in my opinion didn't leave the locals with a lasting altenative for their presence (they had been there over 5 years, and during this time had contributed to raising the quality of life on the island, but had also made the people more reliant on the outside world and it's cash flow).
There have been some projects underway to solve this problem and the villagers have coped well with the transition, but I want to ensure this continues in the future
The local coral reefs are currently in very good condition, though the elders of the village still claim a noticeable change in their lifetime, and this is mostly down to a lack of refrigeration meaning local catches cannot be exported elsewhere (the only major trade being in dried seacucumbers). It is very likely that in the future the fish stocks there will become a target for fishing companies, and as the locals become more dependent on the outside world they may sucumb to this pressure. In little time the reefs could be devastated and the inhabitants of this idyllic tropical island reduced to starving poverty (the reefs being far and above their major food source). I don't have a long term solution to avert this happening, but I am hoping this website will raise awareness amongst those interested, and keep past Greenforce volunteers in touch with how things are going
For my part I also ran the London Marathon this year to raise a small amount of money (about 3,000 FJD) to go into a general development fund run by the village. It aims to target problems of water supply, electricity and education issues. Hopefully I will soon have some more information on how this money is being spent

A few photos from my visit in 2004

Here are a few photos taken back when I visited the island from October to December 2004
First though here is a good close-up map of Yadua:

Whilst on the island we lived in a camp at Nawaisevu Bay (just Waisevu Bay on this map)
This first photo shows the view out from the beacon (the highest point on the island) over Cukuvou Bay, with the edge of Yadua Taba on the left:

Next is a picture of part of the village of Denimanu:

The house with the red and green roof is the home of Anare (the head of the warrior clan) and behind is the bure (traditional fijian house) of his brother Jerry (who's family adopted me when I was living on the island)
Every sunday we would visit Denimanu and attend church with the villagers. It was sometimes pretty hard to sit through a whole sermon in a language we didn't understand in a hot stuffy building, but as a sign of respect to the locals we were happy to turn up, and the choir were fantastic. Here is a picture of a service:

On the right is the choir, on the left the village children and just left of the pulpit stands Ratu Jone, the enigmatic chief
I have so many more photos of life on the island to add to these, but I will have to sort through them all and get back to you with them later, but for now I'll close with a view out over the ocean from above Denimanu:

Where is Yadua?

So in case you're not sure exactly where Yadua is I thought I'd illustrate it with a couple of maps
This first one shows all of Fiji (and if you're not sure where that is, it is in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean...look in an atlas!):

Fiji is actually made up of a huge number of islands, but the main two are Viti Levu (the big round one above) and Vanua Levu (the stretched out one). FYI my Fijian sources tell me that "Viti Levu" means "Big Fiji" and "Vanua Levu" is "Big Island"
On the above map Yadua is located just off the west coast of Vanua Levu. This second map shows an enlarged section:

Here you can see Yadua right on the left of the picture. The village of Denimanu is also illustrated, and if you look closely enough there is a tiny island just to the south west which is called Yadua Taba (but not marked here). Unfortunately the fringing coral reefs are also shown which makes the picture a bit confusing
Right, that's it for now. Next I'll try and get some actual photos online so you can get some idea of life out there

Welcome

Welcome to this site devoted to Yadua Island in Fiji
Soon I will try and add pictures of my time there back in 2004 to give you some idea of what the place looks like
Also I hope to explain a bit more about the place, and particularly the challenges the villagers of Denimanu are facing right now, and how they are coping with these
With a bit of luck I will try and get updates from Fiji when possible to post on here