Well it beats swimming in the Qawa River!

from w
The Fiji Sun runs soft stories three-quarters of the time, and stories about future planning, dreams and visions that may or may not come to fruition. Hardly journalism. Anyway, here's one that is surprising. A swimming pool for Labasa? Well, that would certainly be better than trying to swimming in the nearby Labasa River or Qawa polluted badly river! The only pool I ever saw in Labasa was at the Grand Eastern Hotel and here is a photo-shopped version of it. It isn't really as big as this! Down the road past Tabia though there's a nice lap pool at Palmea resort, very nice and appreciated by the tourists who stay there.

Public pool revived 10/28/2010
The only public swimming pool in Labasa Town may soon be up and running again.

Six years since the closure of Labasa’s only public swimming pool, major maintenance and upgrade works had started yesterday. The swimming pool, formerly the property of the Labasa Town Council, is now under a 25-year lease term to the Gurbachan Singh Memorial Trust. The people of Labasa can now expect a newly-refurbished look to the leisure park and pool.

Labasa businessman Charan Jeath Singh, who is committed to the development of the North, set up the memorial trust under his late father’s name, Gurbachan Singh. He said in an earlier interview that the core function of this Trust is to upgrade and operate the swimming pool, which has been closed for many years.

Like many others who have a passion to share their profits for rehabilitation and development, Mr Singh said his company plans to reach out to the underprivileged students and community. “The funds that we raise from this activity, the profits from the pool operation and donations from our subsidiary companies will pay for school fees,” Mr Singh said. “We will also offer scholarships to the poor and needy students in 2011.”

Project co-ordinator Rajendra Mani said the community pool project sourced out funds during a fundraising drive at this year’s Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North from August 28 to September 4. Mr Mani said once completed, members of the public could expect the best leisure service.

“We are clearing the compound, the pool and its changing rooms. Later, we will build proper thatched bure shelters and put out barbecue sets, which people can use when they bring their families,” Mr Mani said. “A major upgrade will take place so that people enjoy our services. This is part of our community outreach to the people in Labasa.” National Fire Authority officers also contributed to the clean-up drive at the swimming pool area yesterday. Mr Mani said their (firefighters) presence was a positive and united effort in their work towards community outreach.
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And almost buried in the Fiji Times news in the news briefs section is a rather interesting little item - however of significance.
Back to Times

ALL Government ministries, departments and agencies have been informed to resume subscriptions to The Fiji Times. Government had directed those departments to refrain from subscribing to this newspaper in 2009, including placing advertisements. That decision had been rescinded as of yesterday.

Friends group in Labasa

from w
Peceli saw this article about Labasa and suggested I post it. Some good news amidst the gloomy news!
Not all so ‘gloom'By THERESA RALOGAIVAU
Friday, July 24, 2009
Australian High Commissioner James Batley opens the new Friend office in Labasa
DESPITE the global dow-nturn and other local developments, "it's not all doom and gloom", says Australian High Commissioner James Batley. "Human beings are amazingly inventive and resourceful creatures and even in very difficult circumsta-nces people will find ways if they work at it," Mr Batley said.

"If they use their intelligence, their body and if they work together, in the end those are the fundamental tools that we have at our disposal." Mr Batley was speaking at the opening of the new office of the Foundation for Rural Integrated and Develop-ment –– FRIEND in Labasa on Wednesday.

He was also responding to comments by FRIEND founder Sashi Kiran that there was hope if communities were willing to work with the resources around them and produce products that were heavily imported.

"I think she's given us so many reasons to have hope and that's really one of the reasons the Australian government, through AusAid has developed a close partnership with FRIEND over the last few years," he said.

"I think with the assistance and the leadership with groups like FRIEND it really does provide hope for communities."

Mr Batley urged communities not to place too much reliance on the Government, which is a driving force behind the assistance his government had given to Fiji.

"I suppose one of the basic thoughts behind it is there are some things governments do and can do well and have assistance doing but there are some things governments don't do that well or shouldn't even try to do," he said.

"Governments cannot do everything and certainly when they are talking about development, when they are talking about people's livelihoods, it's not all just about what government can do for me," he said.

Ms Kiran said the new office should allow farmers to deal with the challenge of locating a market outlet for their products.

"Farmers, especially for fruits and vegetables, should do their part in farming and FRIEND will arrange for the market outlets."

Keeping accurate accounts

from w
A workshop in Labasa surely would have been useful in directing those who attended to keep accurate accounts in their businesses. I noticed that one of the delegates said he realized that he should take notice of how his business money was spent - business, family, vanua, etc. I've heard stories of churches also mixing up their accounts - 'hey, run to the grog shop and buy some kava - use some of today's church collection.' Hmmm. Micro Enterprises Development is one way of getting people going so we wish them well.
from Fiji Times today:
Workshop targets north business projects, cash
Tuesday, March 10, 2009

RUNNING a successful business in rural communities is imperative to allow for booming trade in rural areas. A business workshop organised by the National Centre for Small and Micro Enterprises Development (NCSMED) in Labasa, showed participants the importance of overcoming business challenges for a successful and growing business.

Workshop co-ordinator Satwyan Balram said the 22 participants from villages surrounding Labasa were members of the Northern Development Program (NDP) and such workshops were needed to help guide participants make good use of the funding from NDP. He said the workshop revealed to participants ways to identify problems in a business and how to tackle it. Mr Balram said the eight-day workshop also involved bankers who were present to help participants work out their existing financial business plan. "The bankers will help our participants who are existing clients of NDP draw up better financial plans to help their business grow," he said. "The workshop also talks about the available resources and how we can make use of it through the trade market that is available to us," Mr Balram said.

Ilaitia Ruiwai, a participant, said the workshop made him realise the importance of being financially accountable. He said over the past years of running his fishing business he struggled to contain costs, thus eating up his profit. Mr Ruiwai said he used business money for family, traditional and church obligations.
He said the workshop helped him realise the importance of differentiating business and family money.