Changing the Culture of Violence in Fiji

THANKS TO YOUR GENEROUS SPIRIT AND CHARITABLE GIVING, Val Hilliker, along with a suitcase full of new puppets (generously donated by Val to Virtues Project Fiji after hearing their puppets were ruined during the cyclone), arrived in Fiji on April 17th.  A radio interview on  MIX 94 FM started getting the word out that Val was back in Fiji. Then a meeting with Virtues Project Fiji's team  followed by a meeting of the minds with the University of the South Pacific (USP) Center for Arts and Pacific Culture staff  a training plan to work with Drama Studies students to become local ventriloquists, and Project Fiji Puppets are on the move...  

• A three day workshop for youth was held in Lautoka at the Ministry of Youth and Sport Training Center. Eight youth were in attendance. The Ministry staff discussed their 'Seeds of Success' program which incorporates the Virtues Project,is eager to include the puppets to teach their program.  They also agreed that the youth in Lautoka associated with the Virtues Project in the past, that are attached to the Ministry of Youth program, will be trained this month. 
• The first show was given at Nasau, Nadi Village near Nadi airport. Within the first thirty seconds they were laughing, laughter is the universal language. The children and their parents hung on every word I said or the puppets said. Their laughter was contagious and everyone settled in for the show. The Chill Skills were taught and everyone seemed to be hearing the ideas for the first time because they had never been shown how to stand up for themselves.  I applied the same strategies of the Chill Skills when they are afraid of the wind or rain. They seemed to just want to learn more about how to protect themselves from being picked on and so that is when Talai and Lina ( newly trained puppetiers) used puppets to deliver the Chill Skills in Fijian. The children and parents thanked us all profusely and really appreciated learning about how to protect themselves from being bullied.  Val carefully weaves in the Strategies of The Virtues Project interactively throughout the presentation. Children and adults in attendance learn about their gifts within, their virtues; strengths inside themselves like courage, gentleness and assertiveness that they can call on. After the show the parents of the children who saw the show got together to talk about the effect of the show. It was decided that the children needed to understand English better as this is the language of their education and one of the young women has volunteered to coach the children to improve their English. An added blessing for the children there!  Two more shows in other locations have also taken place.
• University training with drama students begins May 1st! The students at the USP will receive the Virtues Project training as well as the puppet skills training voice and building puppets.  The undergraduate course which offers students the opportunity to use different artistic expressions to present their ideas on social issues can use dance, painting, song and drama.  The program is already growing as the dance department wants traing to incorporate the virtues into their dance program.  Devos on the Park, a hotel in Suva, donated a hotel room for the puppet team while they are in Suva.  A local resident donated a flat.  VPF is very grateful for the generosity shown in the Suva community.

Our vision is to continue the work that began last year with Fijian children affected by abuse and bullying, further traumatized recently by the devastating cyclone; the training and deployment of puppetiers throughout the country of Fiji, along with training by Virtues Facilitators in The Five Strategies of The Virtues Project for service organizations, parents and teachers, until every child and adult has access to the support, skills and upliftment to end the abuse, bullying and trauma; relief needed to be and feel safe and live their lives with more joy, hope and peace.  With your continued support we will! Thank you again for your generosity and charity in giving.

With Appreciation and Thankfulness,

Verona

 Ongoing training: Youth and University students – those who work with Val during her time in Fiji will continue to receive training support by Val via the internet.  All puppeteers will be trained in The Five Strategies of The Virtues Project and be monitored by VPF before deployment into the community.

Changes to training schedule:  The original project proposal included training school teachers. Cyclone Winston and the flooding that followed changed that schedule. Damage to the schools and loss of teaching days during and after the storm reduced school holidays from two to one week. Teachers are now under pressure dealing with lost teaching time and replacing materials, books and resources lost in the storm. The project will consider running a workshop for teachers in the first week of the school holidays in December with the training being done by VPF staff and hopefully with Val online for some sessions. 

Links:

• Project Leader shares personal report on storm effects
• Kids haunted by Winston, news article
• Val in action