Do I need it or just want it???

Lisa
Sep 3, 2017
6 min read

How often to we find ourselves staring at a potential purchase and weighing up if its a need or a want. I know I can quite easily convince myself a want really is actually an essential need. Rob on the other hand doesn't really buy into my train of thinking (such a bloke thing!)

On a different angle but along the same thinking we were often faced with a similar dilemma when looking to/wanting to help someone.

A question we always have to ask ourselves is... By assisting them are we creating a monster i.e. in a village situation we could be making one house better than the rest thus causing jealousy. So we need to decide to what level we help improve a persons dwelling.

Replacing shutters and making her roof waterproof created interest in the settlement our newspaper lady lives in. Her neighbours were quite happy for her to live in one of the more run down homes. However the minute they saw us come and help, suddenly they became interested in the family showering them with questions. Wanting to know how it was they got help from a western person and how could they get the same attention.

A lovely meal cooked by our newspaper lady Saras and her daughter Rani.

Eaten as family on the floor with our fingers. The food was better than any restaurant meal we have had.

While recently in the Solomans we stayed in an eco lodge well off the beaten track. It was an amazing experience. The local villages have banded together to create one island as a reserve. It is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific. It is manned by a rotation of locals from surrounding islands. Rangers for conservation i.e. Turtle tagging, guides for the tourist, and a cook. It's very basic with limited power via solar, no cell coverage and a very long (and a times rough) boat trip from the nearest town.

The staff is small in number and we were at the time the only guests. It creates for great conversation and understanding of local culture and customs. (Had their been other guests we would have probably fallen into the trap of just conversing with them)

Our guide sat and yarned with

us a lot over the 3 days we stayed and we learn so much. He took us bush walking, turtle spotting, and snorkeling.

Many of the locals carve beautiful things from the local timbers and put shell inlays into them. It is a way to supplement their very meager income. He had some lovely carvings on display and we had decided to buy some to support him.

I have a rather odd looking new type of design mask that enables mouth and nose when snorkeling. Our guide was quite taken with it when he had a turn.

He asked if we would consider trading some carvings for the mask.

My initial reaction was 'why not' I can just purchase another when I return home. However Rob came up with a real valid point. By trading the mask for carvings he was getting something he wanted not needed. He already had a perfectly good, standard dive mask. If we did the trade, his family would miss out on the money which would have gone towards needs. Plus he would then stand out from the other guides and it could create jealousy.

Our dear little angel Rimsha has headed back to India for her next round of surgeries. I was amazed at how a little bit of networking amongst expat volunteers was able to bring in over $8,000 of the budgeted $20,000 required for her treatment.

There is something quite unique about expats living here who aren't content with just playing a few rounds of golf and drinking cocktails. The friendships we have developed living here are strong and the support for each other heart warming.

While living here Terri a speech specialist from Aus spent much of her time volunteering in Suva and made a huge impact amongst the staff and students of the special needs school. She always found time to help me when ever I told her of a child I had come across needing assessment.

She visited Rimsha and was instrumental in getting her extra funding, a wheel chair fitted and she even got her parents to go to the local special school with RImsha.

The excitement Rimsha parents showed the day they took her to "school" was absolutely delightful.

The amazing Terri bonding with Rimsha.

( also instrumental in supporting & helping find funding) and

The day before leaving for India expats Rob and LoryTed and myself went to wish them well. It has been such a lovely journey getting to know this amazing little family.

An American based NGO I have come across here that has really impressed me is called the Loloma Foundation.

They have been visiting Fiji now for over 10 years and their work is all medical based.

The people who go on their outreaches are totally self funded (coming from the States its not cheap!) and range from specialist surgeons, to scrub tech nurses to builders.

The outreaches are well oil machines that have been going long enough to be able to expect and rise to pretty much everything the islands can throw at them.

They have a local outreach nurse (unpaid, so self funded by spending 3 months in America raising funds to survive 9 months in Fiji) who travels around as much of Fiji as she can (both financially and geographically).

Loloma comes 2 times a year to Fiji with different focuses each time and base themselves in one area. The local outreach nurse finds and organises for the patients to attend clinics to receive the necessary medical treatment.

I was fortunate enough to be on the receiving end of one of their recent outreaches as a patient. I had a cyst on my wrist that a local surgeon had had a couple of attempts at but without any success. I was added to the surgical list (expats pay a donation for treatment) and this enabled me to spend time with the team and even go out with a group doing village visits.

Being able to go behind the scenes and understand more of the huge logistical challenge and achievement this foundation managed was inspiring.

Anyone who wants to roll their medical sleeves up or pack a hammer and know they are making a worthwhile difference then visit www.lolomafoundation.org I can not recommend them highly enough.

A small example of the life changing work the surgeons do while in Fiji.

I indicated in my last blog that things were in the wind for a possible change for us in the future.

This has come about and we will be returning to NZ in Oct and Rob will be starting a part time position at Gisborne District Council early Nov.

We still intend to carry on our work in the islands which is one of the reasons why Rob has chosen part time work.

Fiji has been a great experience and while it will be sad to leave friends behind we are excited as to the direction of our next step.

While our place of domicile might change our passion for the South Pacific Islands and desire to give a hand up not out has not. In November Lost Hope Restored would have been running for 8 years and we have no immediate plans to slow up its mission.

I am always looking for innovative ways to raise funds for our various projects.

This summer I plan to have a stall at the local craft fair and sell coconut scoops and ear rings made in Fiji.

Ted has also been busy and has published a book about some of his tails while living in Fiji aimed at 4-7 year olds. We are at present trying to get the price down to so we can sell it at a family friendly price but still raise money. We did a small print out of America for the people who featured in the book. It was bought over here by returning friends so there was no freight charge.

If we can get the price for printing low enough he has 4 other books to print.

Thank you to all who follow our journey and have supported our work through financial donations.

While being over here LHR has been instrumental in helping a cross section of people and cultures. Living here is certainly not a holiday and more often than not it is frustrating and just plain hard work. However we can also look back with much fondness and many chuckles as we recount some of the light hearted moments we have experienced living on "Island Time"

EndFragment

ความคิดเห็น