Thumbs up for PM
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa,
Delta, BC, Canada
Thank you Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama for the wise and patriotic decision to keep our current national flag, the noble banner blue.
This great decision should come with forgiveness to all Fijians who went overboard with their comments on social media, in the dailies and around the grog bowl.
Looks like all Fijians will be having a dual celebration next week, our first Olympic gold medal ever and the decision not to change our national flag.
Vinaka PM and let’s celebrate Fiji!
Tribute to sevens gladiators
Afiz Mohammed, Suva
Each one of you is simply a hero!
You have brought the gold medal from Rio.
You’re the BEST, you have proved it so, you have brought the gold from Rio.
You’re number one, no one can say no.
You have brought the gold from Rio.
The final was tough, but you trounced the trio
And proudly brought the gold from Rio.
You made Fiji proud and united it further more.
With the first Olympic win and gold from Rio.
Salute and cheers to big Ben Ryan and much more
For winning world championship and gold from Rio.
A true Fijian!
Flying the Fijian flag
Param Singh , Navua
Once again Fijians would be flying their flags for our 7s rugby Rio Gold victory celebrations as they join in the activities in Nadi and Suva.
On the same token the burning issue of our flag change has been wiped out of our memory.
A national flag symbolises the spirit of patriotism, pride, unity, love for the nation and together we strive towards building a united nation in which our future lies.
We must ensure our young respect and love the national flag and to build future generations imbued with a strong sense of patriotism and national pride as one nation as recently displayed the world over on Fiji’s Rio rugby win.
Fiji is Fiji
Ashneel J Prasad , Auckland, NZ
No matter where you live in the world, once you reach Fiji, the heart knows what was missing.
Home is home, no matter how many years you live abroad.
The air, the people, the roads, the love, and the Bulas, everything becomes much better in Fiji.
Ben and the Boys
Sukha Singh, Labasa
I think Ben Ryan and the Sevens team not only won the “first gold medal” they saved our “Fiji Flag”. I am not sure I could be right.
Sad reality
Suresh Chand, Nadi
The Hibiscus Festival is marred every year by the rain.
It is rather unfortunate as you can neither stop the rain nor shift the mother of all festivals away from Suva.
It is a sad reality.
Methodist Church Deaconess
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
I fully endorse the sentiments raised by Nemani Delaibatiki in his article titled ‘Methodist Leader Breaks New Ground In Deaconess Pay Call’ (FS 17/8) where the issue of deaconess pay was raised.
Definitely, we need to treat our Methodist deaconesses well.
Being vital cogs in the wheel of the church as Mr Delaibatiki says couldn’t be anymore true.
Our deaconesses and talatala (priests) for that matter are servants of God and the church are paying them peanuts and expect them to perform and increasing the demands on the vocation, though they are servants of Christ who own everything as highlighted in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23.
I know that the secret to service to God is lowliness, but that doesn’t mean the Methodist church pays them low wages.
I understand the men of the cloth enjoy considerable power and enjoy a large measure of trust in the vanua they serve, but we have to reward them well too.
They are playing an important role to save souls and act as the first of line of defence to social ills.
As shown to us in this article, deaconesses are paid well below the national minimum wages mandated by the Government of $2.30 cents/hour which would give them an annual salary of $5,000.
They are also subject to the cost of living adjustments of this country and they don’t roam the desert anymore like John the Baptist eating wild berries and dressed in sheep furs. Be that as it may, I’m glad that the Methodist Church of Fiji president Reverend Tevita Banivanua is reviewing the deaconesses’ salaries.
I also thank this newspaper for raising this long forgotten anomaly that needs rectification.
Their employment rights need not be violated and I call upon the Minister for Labour to make an order in the government Gazzette to form a wages council for religious employees in Fiji.
Early childhood education
Arun Prasad, Nausori
I applaud the Acting Prime Minister and Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum for recognising the salient work of the Early Childhood Education teachers and noting the fact that these teachers “have been underpaid for years” [F/S 16/8].
I am positive that very soon these ECE teachers would be put on a structured scale and start earning a decent salary.
We must recognise the fact that teachers are at the core of quality education. These teachers, and all other teachers, require a genuine supportive working environment for teachers, including attractive working conditions, continuous professional development and specialised training in addressing diverse student population.
The goal of having an educated society is achievable.
Feedback: jyotip@fijisun.com.fj