29 Nov 2019

Not a holiday - MPs in the Pacific: Day Five

From The House , 9:00 am on 29 November 2019

This is part five of five on the Speaker-led delegation to Tonga and Fiji. For the other parts, click here. To hear why these trips happen, click here

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Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

The apples are late. 

Traffic jams aren’t uncommon in Fiji and the car with the box of apples has been held up.

Apples are an expensive import so the fruit is a gift for the children at the Koroipita Kindergarten.

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The children at Koroipita Kindergarten sing a welcome song to the New Zealand MPs Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Stalling for time, the New Zealand Members of Parliament sing Tutira Mai Nga Iwi and Oma Rapeti. 

Pako pako pako - (bang bang bang) 

Ko te tangi ō te pūpamu - (goes the farmer’s gun), 

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The New Zealand MPs sing oma rapeti to the children at Koroipita kindergarten Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

The kids look a little confused but smile as the MPs sing and copy their actions for the rapeti.

Oma rāpeti, oma rāpeti - (run rabbit, run rabbit), 

Oma, oma, oma - (run, run, run)

The apples still aren’t here so New Zealand’s Speaker Trevor Mallard is volunteered for a dance lesson from the children who giggle as he tries to copy their moves.

Speaker Trevor Mallard learns some new dance moves from the children at Koroipita Kindergarten in Fiji

Speaker Trevor Mallard learns some new dance moves from the children at Koroipita Kindergarten in Fiji Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

As soon as the box of apples arrives the Speaker is forgotten about entirely and the kids munch into the crunchy fruit.

By the time these four and five-year-olds graduate kindergarten they’ll be able to speak three languages, English, Hindi, and iTaukei. 

As well as a kindergarten there’s a computer room, health clinic, honey farm, playgrounds, community hall and a general shop at Koroipita.

The New Zealand delegation of five MPs, Jo Hayes, Harete Hipango, Tim MacIndoe, Adrian Rurawhe and Trevor Mallard, are visiting because New Zealand aid helps fund Koroipita.

Squad. This group of children at Koroipita paused their apple eating to pose for a photo

Squad. This group of children at Koroipita paused their apple eating to pose for a photo Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Its name translates to Peter’s Village - a housing project near Lautoka in Fiji. 

It was founded by Peter Drysdale in 1985 after cyclones Eric and Nigel hit the western part of Viti Levu and left thousands homeless. 

The focus now is on helping families with different types of needs.

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Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Peter points out a section of houses belonging to women who have protection orders against violent partners. 

Some of the families previously lived as squatters or in improvised slum conditions where the lack of sanitation, sewage, and hygiene facilities increased the spread of disease. 

“We have eradicated scabies. In the last five years, zero dengue, zero zika, zero lepto and zero chikungunya,” says Peter.

Krishan the Magician so called because he's a self taught electrical repairman. He waves to Peter from his home with his two children but is often found repairing phones at his shop

Krishan the Magician so called because he's a self taught electrical repairman. He waves to Peter from his home with his two children but is often found repairing phones at his shop Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

There are concrete-lined drains and no gutters on the houses which Peter says stops mosquitos from breeding. 

“The rain flashes off the roof. It doesn’t sit in a gutter where the leaves have blocked it and the mosquitos breed, it flashes then into a concrete drain and finds itself in the stream. There are no puddles, therefore there are no mosquitos, therefore there are no communicable [diseases].”

Koroipita founder Peter Drysdale hops into the van to tour the visiting MPs around the village

Koroipita founder Peter Drysdale hops into the van to tour the visiting MPs around the village Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Peter has hopped into the van with the New Zealand group of MPs to tour them around Koroipita. 

He points out the rubbish systems which focus on reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices. 

Grey-water from the shower, kitchen, and washtub is used to water the gardens where egg-plant, pawpaw and bananas grow.

Residents are encouraged to grow their own food in gardens by their houses including bananas, pawpaw, and eggplant

Residents are encouraged to grow their own food in gardens by their houses including bananas, pawpaw, and eggplant Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Burning waste isn’t allowed, residents are encouraged to compost and recycle. Koroipita even produces its own honey and has a specialised botanical zone with native trees for the bees and birds to live off. 

There are rules of occupation including rent, home renovations, and gardening requirements. 

Guests are restricted, no dogs allowed, children are expected to go to school and also play with other children. There are even rules for bicycle riders who need a special licence. 

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Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

Wrap-around support exists at almost every turn, from moving towards owning your own house to homework groups and school supplies for the kids, adults can improve their gardening skills, learn beekeeping or learn other technical skills. 

The village is sustainable and resilient against the elements and Peter is quick to point out the houses withstood Cyclone Winston in 2016.

Different teams handle different parts of the building process. The foundations team is working nearby while the framing team is almost done on this house.

Different teams handle different parts of the building process. The foundations team is working nearby while the framing team is almost done on this house. Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

He stops the van at a cleared patch of land where new houses are being built. 

“We’ve been building here since about March and the system is we have the foundation team laying down the foundations, and then the framing team moves in. They’ve just started that this morning,” he says.

“So I keep them always in balance and the net result is we build a house every eight working days.”

The construction teams are residents trained at Koroipita to build the houses. About 230 have been built here and another 760 elsewhere and there’s a waitlist of about 7600 people waiting to get in.

New houses being built at Koroipita. Peter Drysdale says the wait list has over 7000 people on it

New houses being built at Koroipita. Peter Drysdale says the wait list has over 7000 people on it Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

New Zealand support began in 2005 and the latest grant signed over in April 2019 was worth $1.7million.

While the MPs are here they unveil a new business hub dubbed “SpaceShip Enterprise - where startups take off”.

Speaker Trevor Mallard opens a new business-hub at Koroipita which was built with assistance from New Zealand. The facility will have internet connections and spaces for start-ups to be developed.

Speaker Trevor Mallard opens a new business-hub at Koroipita which was built with assistance from New Zealand. The facility will have internet connections and spaces for start-ups to be developed. Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

But Peter’s not blind to the fact that New Zealand has its own housing issues and many in Aotearoa will ask why money is being sent overseas instead.

“I agree with that,” he says.

“That’s why we’ve now invited the Fiji Government, although it’s taken four years, they have come to the party and they’re there picking up all the capital development costs. New Zealand is now providing just the institutional costs.”

Peter says New Zealand’s support gives them comfort and stability going forward but Fiji’s Government is covering all capital costs for the next stage and beyond.

Founder of Koroipita, Peter Drysdale with a gift from the New Zealand Speaker-led delegation

Founder of Koroipita, Peter Drysdale with a gift from the New Zealand Speaker-led delegation Photo: VNP / Daniela Maoate-Cox

“We absolutely understand and recognise that you have your own social housing problems and your own homeless so we’re working hard to try and engage other funding partners,” he says.

“Not to ween ourselves off this partnership, it’s been a dream. We hope that New Zealand will probably always have input here with us.”

This is the final stop for the New Zealand group travelling through Tonga and Fiji before they head back to Aotearoa.

Find more information on Koroipita here. For the other stories in this series go here.