I was born in Ba, on the western side of Viti Levu. My father, a retired Environmental Health Officer, worked for Fiji’s Ministry of Health. His job meant we moved frequently, and I was raised in various towns across Fiji. During my teenage years, we lived in Western Samoa while he worked with SPREP, an environmental agency. I later returned to Fiji to complete secondary school and earned a teaching degree in Chemistry from the University of the South Pacific (USP), followed by a BSc in Food Science & Nutrition.

My career began teaching Home Economics in Fiji’s interior. Soon after, I joined the Fiji School of Medicine (now Fiji National University) as a Lecturer in Nutrition & Dietetics. For the past 23 years, I’ve taught dietitians and nutritionists from across the Pacific. Three years ago, I moved to Auckland to pursue a PhD in Nutritional Science at Massey University. I’m now in my final year, researching the determinants of nutrition status among older adults in Fiji.

Reflecting on my journey, I feel blessed to have been raised in a home where the iTaukei language was spoken daily. Though not in our native dialects, we communicated in ‘Bauan’, which is the common iTaukei dialect. Cultural events like weddings, funerals, and chiefly ceremonies reinforced our traditions. Faith also played a central role, with evening worship conducted in iTaukei, helping us stay grounded in our identity.

Despite working in English-speaking academic environments, I often find myself translating thoughts from iTaukei to English. This process has shaped how I teach, especially with iTaukei students. Starting with explanations in our language helps them grasp concepts more deeply, preparing them to serve our communities effectively.

This year’s Fijian Language Week theme, “Na noqu vosa me na tekivu mai vale” (My language starts at home), resonates deeply with me. A year ago, I moved my young family from a rural town near Suva to Kerikeri in New Zealand’s Far North. In Fiji, our children spoke iTaukei daily with neighbours, church members, friends, and relatives. We nurtured their reading skills using the Fijian Bible during evening devotions, supported by our faith and church community. As parents, we play a vital role in preserving our language. We’ve always spoken iTaukei at home, and even in Kerikeri, our children continue to use it with us and within our Fijian Bay of Islands community. I now make a conscious effort to converse in “Vosa vakaviti”  or dialect on our family social media pages and encourage others to do the same.

I’m grateful to the PMA membership team for this opportunity to share my journey. To sustain our language, we must begin at home, through daily conversations, writing, and in faith-based gatherings. I hope to contribute further by publishing academic and nutrition resources in iTaukei, also enhancing nutrition communication in the media space, especially targeting our ageing Pacific population.

Va’anuinui vina’a na macawa ni Vosa Vakaviti – Happy Fijian Language Week to all.