I was happy to see a picture in the Fiji Times of Dilkusha girls in their bright purple uniforms crossing the new bridge very close to their schools and home. Dilkusha means 'happy heart' and was built many many years ago as an orphanage for girls, their accommodation half-way up a hillside that overlooks the Rewa River. This has been a Methodist church institution and supported over the years with great interest from the Methodist/Uniting Church in Australia. When I was in my 20s I spent a lot of time wtih the Dilkusha girls and staff and they were the ones to teach my how to make roti when I went with them to Colo-i-suva for a camp. I still make rotis shaped like a map of Australia though! And of course, we did live in Shantiniwas one year at the bottom of the hill and our eldest boy, then aged three I think, followed the crocodile line with the littlies from Dilkusha to Davuilevu to the kindergarten run by Lorini Tevi. Three teenage girls lived with us - one went to Derrick Tech, one to Sariswati College, one to Lelean.
W.
9 comments:
What a beautiful picture. Those smiling faces are priceless.
From Peceli
Rain rain go away come again another day.
Today the heaven open with heavy rain propebaly to bless the new bridge and the Methodist Conferance
I hope will stop tomorrow
I love your unique spelling Peceli! Heavy rain a blessing? Here in Geelong we sure do need it. I'll write something on the blog about our water restrictions. It is really strict now.
We have very light rain some nights so the grass is green and those daffodils bulbs you potted turned out to be something else - jonquils - and twenty-five of them are flowering.
Watiqu sia.
From Peceli
Just a kerekere: You make sure to look after the orchids in the green house
Sobosobo Peceli, I forgot about them, but a lady is coming back and wants to buy some orchids and those snake-like leafed ones with the strange pink flowers. Bromiliads I think they're called. Okay I'll feed the orchids.
W.
i would love to go back since i grew up at the girls home
would love to go back since i grew up there would love to see if anything has changed
Hello Roo,
We climbed up the steps one day in August last year and had a lemon drink with Deaconess Olivia. It has changed from an all-girls establishment to include boys now and they do have several disabled children as well. Who was the matron when you were there? I believe that Gwen Davies is 90 years old now and lives in Melbourne.
We lived in Shantinwas in 1971 but earlier on I used to visit the Barakat Masih family and others around the Dilkusha hill.
Wendy
peceli and wendy deaconess oliva was there when i lived at the girls home, i came out here in 96 and they did have a few boys there but they were the young ones and i also remember that there was a disabled boy there and his name was joseph i dont know if his still there i remember some one wanted to adopt him but the goverement wouldnt allow it because of his disabilty but i would love to go back
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