FIJI Water fielded two teams for the Cure Kids Extreme Challenge Fiji and this is their account of the four days of racing!
 

Our FIJI Water teams had no idea what lay ahead of us. We only knew that we had to be fit and have willing hearts ready to do all that was needed to be done for Cure Kids Fiji.
 

We were hosted to a Welcome Kava Ceremony on the first night of our arrival in Nadi where we were also briefed on the following days’ events. Following a 5am start painting the Nadi Hospital the next morning, the race proper began with Amazing Race type clues and tasks at the Nadi Temple, with Elvis at the Hard Rock Café, a speed boat trip to Vuda Marina, to Viseisei village for another kava ceremony, on to Ba town where we played the champion Ba soccer team then finally to the Malake jetty where we were to kayak to Volivoli Beach. It was an exhausting day and we didn’t think we could go on for much longer, but were reminded that it was all for the kids. This alone was like a shot of pure energy and kept our teams going.
 

The next day was the Ironman competition that involved a 5 km run, a 1.5km swim and a kayak to Malake Island and back. On Malake we were able to see our doctors at work scanning children for Rheumatic Heart Disease and subsequently identify 4 of those children as being positive for RHD. Thanks to Cure Kids Fiji and the portable screening machines, two of which were donated by the FIJI Water Foundation, those children can be treated immediately.
 

The following day each team had a shopping list of live goats, ducks, chickens and pigs for teams to collect. This wasn’t as easy as we’d thought but definitely a lot of fun. On the last day we returned to the Nadi Hospital with flower arrangements where we put the finishing touches to the women’s maternity ward before we handed the hospital back to their staff. The look on their faces when they walked into the redecorated wards was thanks enough and both the staff and the teams had tears in their eyes as we were thanked for our wonderful work.
 

At the end of the race we had made new friends who were passionate about making a difference in the lives of small Fijian babies. We shared tough as well as touching moments and together realized it was never about winning the race, it was all about the kids.
 

On behalf of the two Fiji Water teams we would like to thank each and everyone who donated to Cure Kids Fiji and a big Vinaka Vakalevu to the FIJI Water Family for all your support.

Ben Dunn, Aiyaz Reddy, Isikeli Radike, Claudette Queet
TEAM FIJI WATER 2010
 

FIJI Water believes that charity begins at home and in doing so continues to assist our neighbouring villages with a dedicated Trust committed to providing various water, sanitation, health, education and infrastructure projects.

Nananu Village, located a few kilometers from the FIJI Water factory, is one such Trust Village that has received assistance over the years, including electricity, a kindergarten and various other renovation projects within the school. This project involved sourcing water from a natural spring, sealing it with a spring box, pumping water into water tanks and installing a full reticulation system which will run 24 hours a day directly into the 76 homes of the village and to the nearby school.

The villagers of Nananu organised the project commissioning with a traditional Kava Ceremony and the offering of food and traditional woven mats. In addition, the wonderful women of Nananu performed exquisite traditional dances or Meke in appreciation of the work completed by the FIJI Water team.

Villagers explained how their lives would now be much easier without having to walk hundreds of meters each way to bring water back into their homes. Students were also excited that they would have water running directly into their school.

The completion of this water project served as a timely boost for the 1000 villagers and students of Nananu as areas in the West and North of Viti Levu experience the effects of a drought.
 

129 students of Rewa District School in Lomanikoro, Rewa are looking forward to using their brand new classrooms after the official opening of their new school building last week.

School Manager Alipate Senikuta said the new building was funded by the Fiji Government with the roof funded by the FIJI Water Foundation. The Foundation also funded paints and materials for the renovation of existing classrooms.

Mr Senikuta said with the deterioration of the building that was constructed in 1928, a new building was absolutely vital in ensuring the safety of their students at school. The new building will house classes 5 to 8.

Ex-students of Rewa District School have taken a cue from the joint efforts of the FIJI Water Foundation and the Fiji Government to upgrade their school and have committed to providing computers for the school through fundraising events throughout the year.