A visit to Dilkusha

Above photos: Deaconess Olivia when younger, and birthday of Dilkusha with Olivia and PM Qarase and his wife.

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Recently when we were in Suva Peceli and I decided to visit Dilkusha, because many years ago we lived in Shantiwas, a house below the hill. Our old house is gone now, probably removed when they built the new Rewa bridge.


Shantiniwas had been a strange building - once a hospital, once the home of a missionary sister with a hall used by the Dilkusha church. When we were there, we had two bedrooms for seven of us, an office facing the road, a huge hall so we had a piano and a table-tennis table, two rooms for storing clothes, etc. to give away. The neighbouring house was that of the pastor, Deo Dass Reuben and his family - very kind people.

Anyway we climbed up the steps and met with Deaconess Olivia on the verandah and had a beautiful view of the Rewa river, the two bridges, as we drank our lemon drinks. It was lovely to talk with Olivia who we hadn't met for a long time, and we noticed how well-presented the buildings of the orphanage and the nearby Girls School were.
These days they look after less than forty children. In the days when Gwen Davies was in charge there were over a hundred children. Through the years Dilkusha has indeed been a place of a 'happy heart'. and of course now there are three schools, Girls, Boys, and a High School.

Dilkusha girls winners with their choir

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Dilkusha Primary School celebrate after winning first prize in the singing contest, and best conductor at the Methodist conference at Furnival Park in Suva today. The Conference kicked off with a soli and children's choirs. The adult choirs will sing in Centenary Church in the daytime and Furnival Park at night. It's raining as usual!

Peceli and I have a soft spot for Dilkusha schools, orphanage and the little church near the river as we lived in Shantiniwas one year. The photo of the church was taken by Petere Williams.

And there were dozens of other winners though some choirs were only half-size because of the school term alteration and the children were all over the place being holidays. Some other winners (so far) were Jasper Williams, Delana, Lelean, Ballantine, QVS, Samabula East, Davuilevu, YPD, and even the military got at least two trophies. No matter that the 'official' position of the Methodist Church is to disapprove of the regime! There are no overseas this year - sometimes choirs come from Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington and not only sometimes win a trophy or two but give large soli donations. I wonder why the choirs did not attend. I don't expect many Vanua Levu choirs will be there this time as their members are too busy getting ready for the Conference in Naduri a week away.