In 2014, Christa Miyoni was a third year student in the Bachelor of Education program at QUT. An Australian Government grant enabled Christa and nine of her contemporaries in Education and IT to travel to Taveuni Island and showcase the use of digital technologies at Somosomo District School. As part of the project, the team also setup the school’s library and supported them with other resources.

The experience at Somosomo District had a significant impact on Christa and after graduating from the university, she has remained connected with the SEE Project. As a very successful primary teacher, she has proactively engaged in activities that can positively impact on the quality of education in developing countries. With the support of her former school on the Gold Coast, Christa was able to travel to Mount Hagen in PNG a few years ago to run professional development activities for teachers at Saint Theresia Kuruk Primary School. According to Christa:

My engagement over the years within the SEE Project has made a magnitude of life-changing reverberations throughout my career and personal life. These influential experiences have helped define my identity and supported my personal beliefs. Through the acts of providing service to others using my head, heart, and hands, I’ve been able to grow as a teacher. These experiences have also enabled me to provide unique and interesting perspectives to those who are around me and especially my students.

For the past two years, Christa has been employed as a primary school teacher at the John Paul College in Brisbane. Recently, the school was weeding out some library books that were suitable for primary school students and their teachers. These books were in excellent condition. Christa saw this as a great opportunity to help some of the primary school libraries in Fiji. We were very grateful to the school for generously donating the books to the SEE Project.

Selecting, storing and packing the books was a significant exercise. Christa spent a good part of her holidays to package the books for Fiji. My children were also very supportive in this exercise. It was hard to discard the books especially when they were in such good condition. Any good reading material can create opportunities especially in places where library resources are scarce.

With our small team, we were able to pack more than 3000 books in 78 cartons. We were very grateful to Christa’s uncle Graham who transported the books to the freight forwarder – Gibson Freight in Banyo.

The books are now all ready to go. We have found them new homes in four primary school libraries. These books will go to Nadroga Sangam School, Naidiri Bay Khalsa School, Nabukelevuira Primary School and Tuva Primary School. Sea freight is the only option at present and as a consequence they will arrive in Fiji by the end of the month.

As they say in Fijian; Vinaka vakalevu (thank you) Christa, John Paul College and everyone else for their support in this venture. According to American writer and producer, the late Sidney Sheldon: 

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life.”

We wish the children the very best in these schools.