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JUNE 30 - JULY 31, 2013. Volume 5, Number 6
www.thejetnewspaper.com PRICE: 50 CENTS VIPJUNE 30 - JULY 31, 2013.
Volume 5, Number 6 www.thejetnewspaper.com PRICE: 50 CENTS VIP
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
Bula is back!A week-long experience of fun and entertainment
from July 13 - 20
Nadi which is the tourism capi-tal of Fiji and the fastest
develop-ing township in the South Pacifi c will once again be a
hive of activ-ity as the 53rd Bula Festival is all set to roll out
for the residents and visitors of the country.
Dubbed as the biggest public event in the entire western
divi-sion, Bula Festival has always stood for people and
organizations of our beloved country in times of great need.
Over the years, the festival has made a remarkable difference in
the lives of thousands of people and contributed towards projects
which leave everlasting impacts on the society.
Two of the major notable proj-ects the festival committee has
car-ried out so far are the construction of the new Nadi Hospital
and the new state-of-the-art hearing centre at the Nadi Centre for
Special Edu-cation.
The festival has also helped put food on the tables of thousands
of needy families and educated many children who have broken out of
the poverty cycle through educa-tion.
Bula Festival is the only event of its kind which has never
lapsed in between any given year ever since it started way back in
1960.
Like the resilient people of Nadi, the festival has also stood
strong during times of need and has never deterred from its
objec-tives.
This years theme is Festival of
Unity and according to the orga-nizers, a range of new things
have been planned to mark the 53rd Bula Festival.
This festival will be very dif-ferent from the other years and a
rugby match between Nadi and Nadroga will serve as the curtain
raiser for the festivities, said Bula Festival Trust president
Titilia Vuataki.
She is urging members of the
public to come out in full force to support the noble cause from
July 13 20 at Koroivolu Park and Prince Charles Park
respectively.
Residents enjoying the amusement rides during the Residents
enjoying the amusement rides during the festival last year. Photo:
SHALENDRA PRASAD.festival last year. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER2
FROM THE DESK
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
Fiji - the way the world should be Being the hub of the Pacifi
c, Fiji has everything that a spectacular tropical paradise has to
offer - from private island resort accommodations, top class
restaurants to white sandy beaches, inbound tours, jet boat rides,
hot air balloon rides, mountain trekking, inland tours, eco
tourism, sky diving, helicopter rides, cruise trips, scuba diving,
massage and beauty parlours, vibrant night life and a lot more than
any other
destination in the world offers
COMMUNITY NOTICE BOARDEMPOWER PACIFIC (Formerly PCSS) provides
private, confi dential counsel-ling on depression, family/marital,
stress, grief, abuse, suicidal thoughts, STIs, drugs, alcohol &
be-havior lifestyle changes. Opens 8am 3pm, Monday Friday. Call us
on 6708169 Located at Nadi old hospital road.
ROTARY CLUB OF NADI is on a membership drive to increase members
who repre-sent all sections of the com-munity. Nadi Rotarians meet
every Wednesday at Sitar Restaurant in Martintar at 6.30pm.
Interested people can call club president Krupesh Patel on
6700478
SOROPTIMIST INTER-NATIONAL is a vibrant, dynamic organisation
for to-days professional and busi-nesswomen, working through
projects to promote equality, development and peace. We are seeking
members to join our club. Interested ladies can call SI Nadi
president Zeaba Rahiman on 9977058
FIJIAN WRITERS ASSO-CIATION which has been established to form
the fi rst ever formal body represent-ing writers, poets,
journal-ists and everyone who has a passion for writing is seek-ing
new members. Interested people can contact Professor Subramani via
email:- [email protected]
THE JET is Fijis fi rst community newspaper published monthly by
SHAMBU ADVERTISING from Nadi - the tourism capital of Fiji.
PUBLISHER : SHALENDRA PRASAD Cell: 9232073PHONE OFFICE : (679)
7767574/ 6708188 FAX : (679) 6708188EMAIL :
[email protected]
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Phone: (679) 3375041.
LAYOUT BY SHALENDRA PRASAD & MUNAUWAR KHAN
SHALENDRA PRASAD
Team brings glory after 11 years of
waiting
Financial boost for Fiji KidsBy SHALENDRA PRASAD
Sigatoka based NGO Fiji Kids which has been helping needy
families with educa-tional needs since 2009 has received a major
boost in their efforts to eradicate pov-erty through education
fol-lowing a donation of close to seven thousand dollars from
McDonalds Fiji managing director Marc McElrath on
Wednesday, June 5.As part of their global
philanthropic initiative, Mc-Donalds worldwide observes the
McHappy Day annually with the Fiji operations join-ing in for the
fi rst time this year.
All three McDonalds out-lets in the country marked the special
day with a month-long campaign which began on April 11 and
culminated with
a major event on May 11 with the fi nal day being a major
attraction as local celebrities and radio personalities be-came
part of the good cause.
This was our inaugural McHappy Day and we teamed up with Fiji
Kids which is do-ing a wonderful job by provid-ing educational
needs to many children in the country, Mr McElrath said.
He said McDonalds will
continue to engage in com-munity services as such every
year.
While receiving the dona-tion, Julie Hoskison of Fiji Kids
commended the manage-ment and staff of McDonalds for the timely
boost.
We really did not expect this. It is charity changing and will
make an amazing differ-ence to the kids, Ms Hoski-son said.
McDonalds Nadi acting manager Navindra Sharma McDonalds Nadi
acting manager Navindra Sharma hands over the donation cheque to
Julie Hoskison of Fiji hands over the donation cheque to Julie
Hoskison of Fiji Kids at the McDonalds Nadi outlet in Enamanu.
Photo: Kids at the McDonalds Nadi outlet in Enamanu. Photo:
SHALENDRA PRASAD.SHALENDRA PRASAD.
It has been eleven years since Nadi last won a major soccer
title in the country.
I still remember the 2002 IDC victory at Bas Govind Park and
also captured that little piece of history in my cam-era only to
give away the whole set of pictures to Maika Kasami a few years
back.
While Kasami has dished all the photos out to his former team
mates, family and friends, I am only left with an old CD where I
had scanned those pictures and saved them for future use only to fi
nd out that the device is now cor-rupt.
Nevertheless, on Sunday, June 23, I witnessed another mile-stone
achievement for the green machines.
This time, the boys in green beat all odds to thrash one of the
most fancied sides in the country Ba and that to in the fi nals of
the 2013 Vodafone Fiji FACT fi nals by 3-1.
Nadi last won the Fiji FACT in 1996 at home in Prince Charles
Park and back then, Watisoni Voli played a cru-cial role in the
teams victory.
At that time little Rusiate Matarerega, the hero of the Nadi
side was only two-years-old.
Little did anyone know that one day, that little boy who is now
all grown up and regarded as one of the best strikers in the
country will bring glory to his home town.
Hearty congratulations to the entire team and management not
forgetting the two lucky charms Navneeda Gounder (president) and
Master Kamal Swamy (coach).
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 3
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PRESS RELEASE
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER4
LOCAL NEWS
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
Fijian crafted brand certifi cation to boost economySELECTED
Fijian handicraft
will now have the seal of authentic-ity after 17 artisans were
awarded certifi cates to use the Fijian Craft-ed logo on Friday,
June 21.
Minister for Industry and Trade, Attorney General Mr Aiyaz
Sayed-Khaiyum handed over the certifi -cates to the 17 handicraft
makers, which is aimed at enhancing and providing authenticity to
their prod-ucts.
The certifi cation was given to those craftsperson's who use 100
per cent Fijian raw materials to produce the craft and this will be
a boost to their sales as one of the major buyers of these products
are tourists who are particular about genuine Fijian
handicrafts.
Seventy four year-old Seniloli Sovea, who had a display at the
launch of the Fijian Crafted Brand, is overjoyed that after having
made Fijian handicraft for over 50 years her products will have the
Fijian Crafted logo.
Many people in Fiji have been making Fijian handicrafts but now
with the logo we will have the ben-efi t of having proof of its
authentic-ity, Ms Sovea said.
Ms Sovea thanked the Fijian Government, especially MIT, and the
Fiji Arts Council for making the authentic branding possible.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum congratulat-ed the recipients of the certifi
cates and encouraged the artisans to con-tinue making quality
handicrafts.
He also emphasised the impor-tance of branding hence the need to
maintain the level of quality.
Council director, Mr Lai Veikoso said there were plans to
provide cer-tifi cations to other handicraft mak-ers in the
future.
The event was marked with a march through Nadi Town includ-ing
participants from MIT, the Fiji Arts Council, Nadi Town Council and
schools.
MINFO
Fiji Airways to feature DVD
All Fiji Airways fl ights bringing tourists into the country
will play the special DVD showcasing authentic Fijian
artifacts.
The DVD which was launched by Attorney-Gen-
eral Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum in Nadi was offi cially handed over to
Aubrey Swift, the act-ing CEO of Fiji Airways.
It is the initiative of the Bainimarama government to empower
people and show-case their skills to the world giving them the
ability to ac-cess prosperity, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said.
He said the launching of
the Fijian Crafted initiative also creates jobs and helps keep
our culture alive.
Tourists will be willing to pay more money when they know what
they are buying is original and authentic.
He has also urged local handicraft shops to buy from local
artisans rather than im-porting from other countries like
Philippines.
Seventeen recipients of the Fijian Crafted certifi cation
Seventeen recipients of the Fijian Crafted certifi cation pose for
a group photo with Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-pose for a group
photo with Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum and permanent
secretary for trade Mr Shaheen Khaiyum and permanent secretary for
trade Mr Shaheen Ali. BELOW: Mr Sayed-Khaiyum hands over the DVD to
Fiji Ali. BELOW: Mr Sayed-Khaiyum hands over the DVD to Fiji
Airways acting CEO Aubrey Swift. Photos: SHALENDRA Airways acting
CEO Aubrey Swift. Photos: SHALENDRA PRASAD.PRASAD.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 5
LOCAL NEWS
Chamber welcomes new administrator
The Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry says it is ready to
work with the newly appointed special ad-ministrator of the Nadi
Town Council.
In a statement released to media, chamber president Dr Ram Raju
has welcomed Praveen Balas appointment as the acting SA adding they
are delighted that a man of such caliber who has proven himself to
be one of the best
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
town and city administrators to have been given this role.
He is known to be ex-tremely hardworking and in-dustrious and we
would have been even more delighted if he was given the full and
per-manent role here, Dr Raju stated.
NCCIs view is that Nadi defi nitely deserves a full time
administrator being the main tourist town of Fiji, strategi-cally
located, and growing robustly and really deserving to be declared a
city once all infrastructures are in place.
We have maintained very
good working relationship with NTC but I have to admit that
there is lot more improve-ments that need to be looked at and fast
tracked. Drainage and fl ooding after heavy rains for example still
remains a major issue.
We are very relieved with the excellent improvements to roads
and accept that there still needs a lot more atten-tion.
On the citizens part we also need to work harder with the
council in making the town more attractive, clean and beautiful, Dr
Raju added.
Nadi Town Council special administrator Praveen Bala. Nadi Town
Council special administrator Praveen Bala. Photo: SHALENDRA
PRASAD.Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
The Fijian government has allocated a mas-sive budget of $420
million for road and bridge construction, maintenance and
repairs.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama made the revelation while offi
cially opening the Nadi depot of New Zealand based civil and road
contractors Higgins (Fiji) Limited on Wednesday, June 12.
Higgins has been contracted by the govern-ment to carry out all
road works in the western division and work carried out by the
company has already impressed not only the government but thousands
of people who use the roads ev-ery day.
In order to carry out work effi ciently, Hig-gins now has a
depot based in all towns of the entire western division.
Fixing Fijis roads is among my Govern-ments top priorities. So
Im delighted to be here this morning to open the Nadi depot for one
of the overseas contractors undertaking this task the Higgins
Company of New Zealand,
Massive budget for roadsPrime Minister Bainimarama said.
He said Higgins will be achieving greater results in the coming
few months.
Yes its taking time to attend to every job. The neglect, the
ineffi ciency and corruption of previous years cannot be fi xed
overnight. But the work that was so badly needed has begun in
earnest and were all starting to see the results, Prime Minister
Bainimarama added.
He said government is committed to this massive project in the
West as well as in the rest of Fiji because the state of our roads
im-pacts the health of our entire economy and the life of every
Fijian.
Sharing similar sentiments, Higgins chair-man Sir Patrick
Higgins said the company has already invested millions of dollars
in bringing in the best machinery required to carry out road
works.
We are here to assure that we will deliver what is expected and
we are proud to be associ-ated with this project, Sir Patrick
said.
We wish to thank the government for awarding Higgins this
opportunity to be part of the development.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, Attorney-General Aiyaz
Sayed-Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, Attorney-General Aiyaz
Sayed-Khaiyum and Tui Nadi Ratu Sailosi Dawai seen during the offi
cial Khaiyum and Tui Nadi Ratu Sailosi Dawai seen during the offi
cial opening of the Higgins Nadi depot. Photo: MARGARET
NAQIRI.opening of the Higgins Nadi depot. Photo: MARGARET
NAQIRI.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER6
LOCAL NEWS
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
Honesty and transparency above all: A-G
From Bottom Left To Right : Jasper Singh (Lami Town Council),
Jay Whyte (Sigatoka),Vijay Chand (Labasa / Savusavu), From Bottom
Left To Right : Jasper Singh (Lami Town Council), Jay Whyte
(Sigatoka),Vijay Chand (Labasa / Savusavu), Arun Prasad (Ba
/Tavua). From Top Left To Right : Mosese Kama (Nasinu) Praveen Bala
(Lautoka/Nadi), Ralulu Cirikiya-Arun Prasad (Ba /Tavua). From Top
Left To Right : Mosese Kama (Nasinu) Praveen Bala (Lautoka/Nadi),
Ralulu Cirikiya-sawa (Rakiraki). Photo: MINFO.sawa (Rakiraki).
Photo: MINFO.
MINFO
The Attorney General and new Acting Minister for Housing and
Local Govern-ment, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, has told the country's
Special Administrators that the Gov-ernment will not tolerate
in-stances of Councils refusing to cooperate with FICAC, the Fiji
Independent Commission Against Corruption.
He said putting an end to corruption in Fiji was one of the
cornerstones of the Baini-marama Government and there should be no
impedi-ment to any FICAC investiga-tion.
"I want to make it clear to all of you that there should never
be any doubt in your minds about the need to comply and collaborate
with FICAC and work with it to eradicate corruption. The Government
insists on fair, honest and transparent gov-ernance and will not
tolerate unscrupulous or dishonest be-haviour, favouritism or
nepo-tism," he said.
The Minister was speaking at his fi rst meeting in Lautoka with
the Special Administra-tors of Lautoka/Nadi, Ba/Ta-vua/, Rakiraki,
Nasinu, Lami and Labasa/Savusavu.
The Special Administrators of Suva and Nausori/Levuka were not
present.
He outlined his plans for the portfolio and received a briefi ng
from the individual administrators on the fi nancial situation in
their various mu-nicipalities and the challenges they face.
The Minister called for a report on the capital projects being
undertaken by the vari-ous Councils and discussed opportunities to
streamline their business activities from a practical and legal
perspec-tive to provide ratepayers with better value for money.
He also said that there was a pressing need to reform the system
of fees and charges imposed on local businesses, describing the
present ar-rangements as "very unfair" on small business
owners.
"It is clearly iniquitous when small business people such as
shoe repairers are saddled with exactly the same charges as large
business houses when it comes to ob-taining business licences,
pay-ing for health inspections or obtaining certifi cates from the
National Fire Authority. This goes against a fundamental principle
of the Bainimarama Government - which is to cre-ate a fairer, more
equal society - and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency,"
he said.
The meeting also discussed ways in which the various
mu-nicipalities could deal with problem rate payers.
"Some ratepayers are be-ing openly defi ant and simply refuse to
pay their rates. These people are placing an unnec-essary burden on
their fellow citizens to carry the cost of the services they also
enjoy. This is not acceptable," the Minis-ter said.
The Special Administra-tors were reminded of the
signifi cant responsibility they carried to facilitate the
Baini-marama Government's vision for a better Fiji.
"As the Prime Minister has reiterated on numerous occa-sions, we
need better service
delivery for ordinary people, a more level playing fi eld and to
provide a framework for indi-viduals to succeed and create better
lives for themselves and their families. This means put-ting the
interests of those we
serve above everything else," he added.
The Lautoka meeting cov-ered a range of other local government
issues, including road and footpath mainte-nance, the extension of
exist-
ing market places to cope with an increasing number of ven-dors,
proper drainage systems, squatter settlements, garbage collection,
recreational parks and other council projects.
Nadi Hospital marks public service day
All government depart-ments were open to public on Tuesday, June
25, 2013.
As part of the PSC Day, Nadi Hospital staff in con-junction with
the Nadi Hos-pital Board of Visitors Trust organized a free
screening for blood pressure, sugar, height and weight.
After screening, people who took part were advised of any
concerns or precautions they need to take for future in order to
stay healthy, board secretary Israr Khan said.
People appreciated the service and in future there will be more
such open days orga-
nized at the hospital so public can take advantage of the
free
check-ups. We had a good re-sponse from the public.
A staff nurse carries out free screening at the Nadi Hospital on
Tuesday, June 25 to mark the Public Service Day while Nadi Hospital
board secretary Israr Khan looks on. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 7
LOCAL NEWS
Security boost in Namaka
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
By SHALENDRA PRASAD
The Namaka business community has once again joined hands with
the Fiji Po-lice Force to make the suburb a crime free and safe one
for residents and visitors.
Spokesman Vijendra Pillay said they are always working closely
with various govern-ment agencies to ensure the area is safe for
everyone.
We are very happy to have helped in the repairs of the po-lice
caravan which was badly damaged during cyclone Evan last year, Mr
Pillay said.
A very special thanks goes to the divisional police
commander western SSP Jope Ralulu for accepting our invi-tation
to offi cially receive the repaired caravan.
Namaka Police Station of-fi cer-in-charge Inspector Taito Susau
thanked the business community of Namaka for always supporting the
force with such timely initiatives.
The caravan will help us maintain law and order in the area
especially in the red zones of the suburb, Inspec-tor Susau
said.
The caravan was repaired with the assistance of Offi ce
Stationery and Variety, Bobos Welding Works, Quality Knits (Fiji)
Limited and Media Part-ners Limited.
Namaka Police Station offi cer-in-charge Inspector Taito Susau,
left, with residents of Namaka during the Namaka Police Station
offi cer-in-charge Inspector Taito Susau, left, with residents of
Namaka during the handing over of the repaired police caravan.
Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.handing over of the repaired police
caravan. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
Weathermen carry out community work
Staff of the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) as part of the
Ministry's Community Work Outreach Pro-gramme visited the Loloma
Home in Sabeto, Nadi on Saturday, June 22.
The Nadi-based FMS Headquarters staff visited the Loloma Home
with some cash and in-kind gifts for the children and single
mothers residing in the Home.
The FMS team also cleaned up the Home's compound and planted
some cassava, bananas and bele in their gar-den, before having
lunch together with the residents.
FMS director Alipate Waqaicelua said they will con-tinue to
carry out such community work together with staff members.
This will be an ongoing thing for us as we wish to make a little
difference in the community as well.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER8
LOCAL NEWS
Community leaders sharpen disaster management skillsBy MARGARET
NAQIRI
People of Nadi will be bet-ter prepared during times of natural
disasters following a three-day workshop of various stakeholders
such as village elders, community leaders and advisory councilors
recently.
All participants received a certifi cate of completion after the
workshop and are now giv-en the task of disseminating the
information and knowl-edge shared during the meet-ing to each and
every member of their community.
Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki while opening the
workshop had reminded participants on the importance of such
meet-ings and its long time impacts in times of need.
You are trained to be the eyes and ears of the response agencies
during a disaster and it is with your timely as-sistance and
information that lives can be saved and relief
operations can be conducted in a timely and effi cient man-ner,
Commander Cawaki said.
While closing the three-day workshop, divisional planning offi
cer western Luke Moroivalu thanked everyone involved in making the
meet-ing a success.
The objective of this three-day workshop was to empower our
community leaders, those involved in di-saster situations and to
create a disaster management team that can work shoulder to
shoulder with response agen-cies during natural disasters, Mr
Moroivalu said.
He said the aim is to shift from an over reliance on the
response agencies to a more public private partnership.
The workshop also re-ceived a timely boost from former Fiji
residents who now reside in Australia.
Known as QViti, the group from Australia donated disas-
ter kits which will prove to be a life-saver during times of
need.
Group spokeswoman Ka-lisi Volatabu said they were humbled and
honored to be
there and meet the people from the various villages, settlements
and communities.
Our return to Brisbane, QLD was fi lled with fond memories of
the opportu-
nity to meet our people back home. We envision to enhance our
efforts and support for our people at home. We look for-ward to
returning home soon and touch base with everyone
and assess how the training and the Disaster Kits have made an
impact with them and their people, Ms Volatabu stated in an email
message to The Jet upon her return.
Community leaders pose for a group photo with their certifi
cates. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.Community leaders pose for a group
photo with their certifi cates. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
From left are Jimaima Le Grand of QViti, Bryan Watson, chairman
of the Nadi River Basin Catchment Committee, From left are Jimaima
Le Grand of QViti, Bryan Watson, chairman of the Nadi River Basin
Catchment Committee, Kalisi Volatabu of QViti and divisional
planning offi cer western Luke Moroivalu. Photo: MARGARET
NAQIRI.Kalisi Volatabu of QViti and divisional planning offi cer
western Luke Moroivalu. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 9
ADVERTISEMENT
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ADVERTISEMENT
Enrolment is now open for Semester II, 2013
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 11
LOCAL NEWS
International School Nadi had a very suc-cessful Fun Day on
Saturday, June 8.Well over 2000 people
came to support the school. This is an annual event for the
school and it was well sup-ported not only by the school community
but also many people in Nadi who came along to fi nd bargains and
en-joy the food from the interna-tional and local communities who
make up the school.
The students from Interna-tional School Nadi come from twelve
different nationalities and there were food stalls selling food
from Korea, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Chi-na and India! 30% of
the stu-dents at ISN come from Fiji and a qualifi cation from ISN
gives students entry into uni-versities all around the world.
The Fun Day offered plen-ty of activities for the children such
as the Bouncy Castle, Face Painting, Childrens Dis-
ISN fun day a great success
By DIANNE KORAREPrincipal - ISN
co, water balloons, Haunted House, the Fire Brigade and Treasure
hunt. Other stalls included Nail Art, Braiding, Massages, Henna,
Pot Plants, Flower arrangements and the popular White Elephant
Stall which had great bargains such as second-hand clothes, toys.
One of the highlights of the day was the helicopter rides organized
by Heli Tours.
One new addition this year was the Principals Caf which offered
the well known Bulaccino coffee, tea and hot chocolate. There were
also plenty of cakes on sale made by the parents and others
do-nated by Bulaccino, Bakels, the Fiji Beach Resort and Spa,
Hilton and many other com-panies in Nadi. Rosie Tours was a
wonderful help, setting up most of the stalls on Sat-urday.
Another great commu-nity service on the day was the Breast
Cancer Caravan which offered free blood pres-sure checks and other
health checks. Dr Nandan supervised the Blood drive. The West Trust
Animal Welfare was there also and the pets were a great
success.
Fun Day is an excellent initiative by ISN parents.
In-ternational School Nadi is very fortunate to have such an
interested group of parents who willingly organize ac-tivities for
the students to cel-ebrate the different cultures in our school.
Our PTA (Parent, Teachers Association) have done an excellent job
this year under the leadership of Jules Samuels and the hardworking
Fun Day committee, parents, staff, students and friends of ISN.
There was such a great
feeling of community on the day and the money raised as-sists
with important develop-ments within the school. In-ternational
School Nadi also offers full and half scholar-ships to outstanding
students
in Fiji to do the prestigious International Baccalaureate
Diploma.
The International School Nadi Fun Day 2013 was an-other
excellent day for the Nadi community!
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER12
BUSINESS MENTORING
A new series of articles with challenging perspectives for your
businesses
By CLAIRE-DIANE GIRALDEAU
Contact: [email protected] Mobile 925 8050 or 707 8050
Do you know what your usual pattern is?
In this article I may end up expressing some of my frustra-tions
with a few pro-viders as it seems I am the only one having such
prob-lems and I wonder if any of you, readers really know what is
going on behind the scene with your money and bills. Do you know
your usual pat-tern?
Coming from a culture of paying bills on time I am al-ways
careful and well orga-nized to never have to pay any unnecessary
fees to our utili-ties, internet providers and even with the bank.
I just hate making them richer for noth-ing especially when we do
not get the service we pay for.
I will try to be as factual as possible and invite you all to
start checking much more carefully what the risk of in-ternet usage
is. So lets start with our various internet pro-viders, to avoid
naming only one. In the past 3-4 months my data cap got way over my
usual pattern usage rarely above 5GB and I kept won-dering what was
I doing dif-ferent that by the 10th of the month I would have to
reload.
In Nasoso we have regular fault, the lines drop and we end up
having to download the same antivirus software 2-3 times to get it
fully func-tional, even downloading a short YouTube of four
min-utes, will take 20 minutes with more than 10 cuts when I view
it. So I made a complaint and all I was told is that they will
change the lines soon. I must specify that a supervisor in Suva has
been wonderful in helping me out and it took us a few months to fi
nally dis-cover that three people had been using my account
with-out me knowing about it. It is still under investigation but
just imagine, no one else than me and employees know my
password.
Now the next problem is really challenging and again I will not
name any specifi c or-ganization, this time it is with my online
banking. Somehow it seems that a ghost has man-aged to make a
transaction four times in a row in my ac-count without me knowing
until I printed my statement to do my reconciliation. I strongly
recommend that you do your own reconciliation each month especially
if you have enough there for such possibility. The payment was
intended to go through only one time but it showed four times the
same amount within minutes. Again my usual pattern was not
followed, I have a system where I indi-cate what payments are for,
and I also print in pdf every
transaction references for my records. What is the mystery here
is that I never got to see the online page of the other three
repetitive payments nei-ther the transaction numbers. The receiver
was very happy and did not tell me thinking it was meant to be that
amount which he received in a lump sum.
I must recognize the im-mediate attention given to this case by
the CEO when I reported it to the bank and he has assured me that
it just cannot be from their side since I am the only one who knows
my password and their websites are very secured. The only other
possibility is internet hacker on my own computer or a virus or
most probably when the line drops the transaction got done
au-tomatically every time it got back, still investigating with
internet provider.
Lastly in the past two months I am not getting in my mailbox one
of the regular bills and I have not changed address for the past 10
years - how does it happen that sud-denly the invoice is returned
to sender who do not bother checking their own computer system
which is now add-ing a physical address on top of the mailing
address which creates the problem. I had to call them three times
to fi nd out what is going on, need to email them so that they
email me my bill in order for me to pay it on time. Then I am told
that I have to go to their of-
fi ce in town to make a change of address, when I did not change
my address anyway.I just love computers. And technology and the IT
experts will always blame us that we do not know how to use their
system.
I recall when I was back in Montreal to do my MBA, we had
classes in the weekends and when I got back home on a Saturday
afternoon I had a message on my phone (yes long ago!!) to call back
my Visa Card Security. When I spoke to the customer service rep who
asked me fi rst if I had used my card that day, I said no I was in
class all day. Then he requested that I check if I had my card, I
was quite sur-prised to fi nd out that my Visa Platinum (high
credit limit) was missing from my wallet. It had been stolen.
I asked him, how did you know it was not me using the card? He
said that the ex-penses were not my usual pattern or types of
expenses neither the area where the pur-chases were made. The
people had spent over $3000. In less than two hours, buying sound
systems & toys. I have no kids and I would never spend that
much in a shopping spree. We have excellent Visa card ser-vice,
very good protection on our cards overseas so I did not have to pay
this and now with having to use a password it is safer. Even buying
online is very well protected, I bought a course online last month
and when I cancelled it, they con-
tinued to take the payment, I just called Visa and they
re-versed the transaction imme-diately.
Now lessons learnt from these minor issues:
1. Always check the accuracy of your bills, even at the
restaurant a friend got charged $17 for a juice or the addition is
wrong.
2. Always check your bank statements especially if you do online
banking even more so if you have internet problems.
3. Always feel free to question any suspicious items whenever
you purchase some-thing.
I remember a story of a man in England who started up a business
to verify peo-ples various monthly bills for any errors. He was
getting paid to fi nd mistakes; he be-came a millionaire in less
than a year. I also recall another case of a bank employee who got
caught taking one cent only every day in all accounts in his town.
If it had not been for an old lady wondering and questioning
another staff why were they taking one cent like that he would have
been very rich.
I have a very good friend who lately had to fi re of a bundle of
employees in one shot, because she caught them stealing. It is sad
when we think of it, instead of being grateful for having a good
job, being trained and paid better than other places, they still
al-lowed touching cash to infl u-
ence them to take what was not theirs.
As an interpreter, I was helping a French couple who got taken
advantage of by a hotel in Nadi which demand-ed a deposit which
should not have been asked for in the fi rst place. The couple was
not happy there as people kept en-tering their room in the mid-dle
of the night. The lady was putting a chair and the table at the
door at night, she was so afraid, so they moved out somewhere else.
The Manager is still refusing to return their deposit with the
excuse that he does not have the funds???? Wonder how long he will
stay in business. And what repu-tation does that give to
visi-tors?
Unfortunately there are dishonest people everywhere, this not a
case of only in Fiji, I do believe we all should do our own part of
watching what is going on, in establish-ing your own usual pattern.
Sometimes in business espe-cially small ones, we get too busy, we
pass our records to someone else to do, but they do not know our
usual pat-terns and they may not real-ize the errors that we would
notice on the spot. If you had similar problems I would like to
know about it.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 13
ANIMALS FIJI MONTHLY FEATURE
Animal Care and Health from the veterinarians at Animals Fiji
Nadi Clinic
Horse care
By MICHELLE HORNof Kiwi Care
Kiwi Care Team is a small vol-unteer group based in New Zealand.
We are a self fund-ed group of equine, horse, professionals: Large
Animal Vets, Horse Nurses, Horse Dentists and Farriers (a
pro-fessional who specializes in hoof care). We work
inter-nationally (formerly Egypt, India and now Fiji) to assist
developing countries with education and care for work-ing animals -
predominantly horses, donkeys, mules, bullocks and camels.
We spent two weeks in
Fiji last September, in a joint venture with Animals Fiji. This
trip was heralded as a huge success, and in June 2013 we returned
for anoth-er week of care and educa-tion for the horses and their
owners. We were lucky to again team up with Animals Fiji. We
received sponsor-ship from Outrigger on the Lagoon to hold free
horse clinics for horses along the Coral Coastfrom Pacifi c Harbour
to Natadola.
One of the memorable ar-eas we worked in was about 15 minutes
from Sigatoka, at Qereqere Settlement. Here we saw over 40 horses
that required treatment in one way of another. Many of the wounds
we saw there and in Fiji last trip and this trip were/are
PREVENTABLE. They include, but are not limited to:
Large back wounds caused by unclean pads be-ing used when
riding, caus-ing friction burns and then open wounds. We dressed
the wounds, and advised
how to better prevent these in the future. See the picture to
show you how to ease the pain for the horse by cre-ated homemade
side pads to prevent further injury to the sore.
Lack of available water for the horses and goats to drink. Just
as hu-mans, horses and goats need fresh water available to them 24
hours a day.
Hoof care, picking out the stones of the horses hooves on a
daily basis can really prolong the hoof and the animals life, which
in turn will make them avail-able for your use.
Simple practices such as using clean dry pads, wash-ing off the
horses after they get sweaty, picking stones out of the hooves on a
daily basis, and providing ad-equate food, water and shel-ter, will
enable these horses to work harder and last lon-ger for their
owners.
Humane euthanasia of animals, who have suffered traumatic
non-survivable in-juries, is something that we would like to fi nd
a solution for. Currently there is no method in place for this, but
Kiwi Care Team and Ani-mals Fiji will work to put in place options
to deal with
these sorts of situations as and when they arise. Given the
number of horses roam-ing free along the roads, there are many
horses suf-fering after being hit by cars.
Its extremely exciting to be involved with the peo-ple of Fiji.
We have found on each trip that we are so warmly welcomed into
their lives; it encourages our team to want to do even more.
Kiwi Care Team and Animals Fiji are in this for the long haul,
and we will be back to continue this education and work, both
within Viti Levu and then to the outer islands. Thank
you to Animals Fiji, and the people of Fiji for welcoming our
team and allowing us to work with you.
For any questions on the above or if you need as-sistance with
your animal please contact Animals Fiji. Our Nadi Clinic is on
Queens Road (between Mc-Donalds and Sitar), Mar-tintar, Nadi. Phone
number is 670-1012 or out of hours emergency mobile is 993-6647.
Our veterinarian is Dr Angus Black.
Email: info@animalsfi ji.org Website: www.animals-fi ji.org
& Facebook: www.facebook.com/animalsfi ji
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER14
TRAVEL AND TOURISM
The New Nadi Farmers Club, Bar & Restaurant has been honored
by Trip Ad-visor with the prestigious Award of 2013 WINNER
CERTIFICATE OF EX-CELLENCE.
The New Nadi Farmers
Nadi Farmers Club wins Trip Advisor Award
Club, Bar & Restaurant is in the top-performing 10% of all
businesses worldwide on TripAdvisor. This award is only given to
businesses that consistently earn high ratings from TripAdvisor
travelers.
Nadi Farmers Club, spe-cializing in catering for pri-vate
functions of all sizes from small intimate groups to larger
capacity function, Birthday parties, Christmas parties, Weddings
and alike.
PRESS RELEASE
PACIFIC PULSE
PACIFIC PULSE
The magical pair....Tom and Tracey of the New Farmers Club with
their certifi cate of The magical pair....Tom and Tracey of the New
Farmers Club with their certifi cate of excellence. Photo:
SHALENDRA PRASAD.excellence. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
Blue Lagoon Cruises rolls out new itineraries
Blue Lagoon Cruises, Fijis premier small ship cruising company,
is excited to announce the introduction of new itineraries that
will commence on Friday, September 6, 2013.
Blue Lagoon Cruises has identifi ed a new passenger demographic
who is attracted to boutique small ship cruising. These passen-gers
are generally more active and looking for unique and varied
activities to enhance their cruising experience.
The itinerary changes enable us to offer
fantastic added value and unique daily optional excursions or
activities as we venture into new cruising territory.
The 3 and 4 day cruises will see the introduc-tion of the large
catamaran vessel Cheetah for transferring passengers exclusively
from Port Denarau, Nadi to connect directly with Fiji Prin-cess in
the Mamanuca Island region.
Captain Cook changes cruise names, launches new brochure and I
try a
cruise!
Tanoa Waterfront recognized
Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has announced that two seven night
voyages operated on the MV Reef Endeavour will be offered under new
names, with their popular Discovery Cultural Cruise now becom-ing
the Four Cultures Discov-ery Cruise and their Discov-ery Heritage
Cruise becoming the Colonial Fiji Discovery Cruise.
Meanwhile, Captain Cook Cruises Fiji has also launched its new
2013/2014 brochure for its multi day small ship cruising
operations, with each
of the two newly renamed voyages featured, along with shorter
three and four night cruises and their new eleven night Lau cruise,
plus wed-
ding cruises, sailings for private functions as well as single
day and dinner cruise product are also featured.
The Tanoa Waterfront Ho-tel in Lautoka Fiji has been awarded the
certifi cate of ex-cellence from TripAdvisor for the third
consecutive year.
The accolade, which hon-ours hospitality excellence, is given
only to establishments that consistently achieve out-standing
traveller reviews.
Tanoa Waterfront is delighted to receive the Tri-pAdvisor
Certifi cate of Excel-lence for the third consecu-tive year, said
Ms. Kalpana
By ALAMGEER SHAH
Reddy, Director of the Tanoa Hotel Group.
We strive to offer our customers a memorable expe-rience and to
receive this ac-colade again is evidence that our hard work is
translating into an enjoyable stay for our
guests.The Tanoa Waterfront Ho-
tel situated on the shores of Lautoka has 72 well-appoint-ed
accommodation rooms supported by a selection of conference
facilities and food and beverage outlets.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 15
FARM TO TABLE INITIATIVES
Hawaii - from land to ocean
By CHEF LANCE SEETOIn this new business series, I share
ideas and farming concepts that are at the forefront of farm to
table initia-tives overseas that are helping farm-ers partner with
local chefs to grow their farming business. Fiji is in a unique
position to take advantage of this growing agribusiness
relation-ship with chefs who are passionate about using more local
produce on their menus. Instead of relying on imported fruits,
vegetables, meats and seafood for the tourism industry, the smart
Fijian businessperson can learn to become a boutique farmer or
value-added farming business to make more money from their land.
Fiji has the opportunity to be a world leader in farm to table
programmes as the rich volcanic soil; local and overseas government
bodies pushing for sustainability and food security; and a need to
diversify sugar cane plantations could drive a revolution in
locally grown gourmet foods that Fiji and the world cannot wait to
taste. If tourists agree that the tropi-cal fruits and vegetables
of Fiji are one of the best tasting in the world, can you imagine
what other gourmet foods grown here might taste like?
On my recent visit to Hawaii, local farmers and businesses
shared their success stories of teaming up with some of the states
top chefs to produce more Hawaiian-grown produce. Just as Fiji
imports tonnes of fruits, vegetables, meats and sea-food from
Australia, New Zealand and other overseas partners, Hawaii has been
importing their goods from mainland USA to supply the growing
tourism sector. But things are chang-ing. With the arrival of many
new chefs to Hawaii and a renaissance in cultural pride, there has
been an enormous push to encourage existing and new farmers to
invest in knowl-edge to grow produce that the chefs will transform
into some of the best and creative cuisine in the region.
The current set-up of farms and lack of diverse produce in Fiji
cre-ates an oversupply of certain fruits and vegetables, which
lowers their market price due to a lack of demand from the tourism
industry. Root crop vegetables like cassava, dalo and sweet potato
are grown in abundance for local consumption but are not widely
used in our top resorts and hotels. Market forces push the worth of
these root crops down because lo-cal consumers will not pay more
than they can afford. The switch to cheap imported foods,
especially tinned and processed foods, is being driven by
post-cyclone and high fuel cost
prices, and by families who see better value in spending less at
the fruit and vegetable markets. The farmers must also make a
living to feed the fam-ily and pay for operating costs; they need
to make money too. So what is one solution that is creating a new
generation of farmers in Hawaii and attracting the worlds best
chefs to use the produce in their own special way; produce more
fresh and unique foods for tourists to enjoy.
The Kamehameha Schools prop-erty asset management programme is
at the heart of a 21st century legacy-driven, sustainable farming
system, which may inspire Fijian farmers to think out of the box.
The native Ha-waiian land distribution is a product of a long but
not forgotten legacy of a royal monarchy who looked after its
people. Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop (1831-1884) was the
great-granddaughter of Kamehameha I, the warrior chief who united
all the islands of Hawaii under his rule in 1810. As the last royal
descendant of the Kamehameha line, the princess inherited thousands
of acres of land making her the largest landholder in the kingdom.
In her will she left more than 375,000 acres of land val-ued at
US$474,000 in those days. Today, the Kamehameha Schools endowment
today includes nearly 365,800 acres of Hawaii land and combined
with other assets is val-ued at more than US$9 billion. Her
endowment supports the largest in-dependent pre-kindergarten
through grade 12 school in the United States and an educational
system that serves thousands of students throughout the state of
Hawaii. Her legacy has also seen a shift in philosophy to help and
encourage farmers to succeed in their businesses, rather than just
be their landlord collecting rent for the land. The resurgence in
native Hawaiian pride is also driving a need to delve into their
ancient past to look at how their ancestors practiced sustainable
farming from land to ocean. The use of native fi sh ponds to farm
seafood and ingenious irrigation systems from mountains, streams
and ocean is inspiring a more eco-friendly and
culturally-respecting use of the land. Kamehameha Schools is on the
con-stant hunt for young and enterprising locals to try their hand
at growing or producing other foods.
If our resorts and hotels are pre-pared to pay huge amounts of
mon-ey to pay for produce they cannot source in Fiji, doesnt it
make sense to re-educate, re-train and re-tool lo-cal farmers to
produce food that the chefs want? It needs the support of
government, aid agencies, farm-ers, landowners and chefs to create
a sustainable model that is termed agri-tourism; tourism through
agri-culture. The biggest winner will be Fiji; for both
agri-tourism and export opportunities.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER16
WOMEN
Collaboration to build a brighter future for the Women of
Fiji
In every country around the world, women and children suffer
from widespread and multiple forms of violence. It takes place in
our homes, on our streets, in our schools and workplaces. This
violence manifests itself in many forms of physical and sexual
assault, but also includes child mar-riage and forced child labor.
Every month Empower Pacifi c respond to multiple calls for
assistance from families where women are subjected to vio-lence and
vulnerable children are affected. Violence against women is not
only damaging to the women involved, it hurts our whole
communities. Vio-lence prevents women and chil-dren from living
with dignity, violates their fundamental hu-man rights and stops
them from achieving their full potential. It is one of the biggest
obstacles to the advancement of women today and has serious social,
emotional and economic costs.
Empower Pacifi c staff up-hold the truth that violence against
women must end. Our teams work passionately be-hind the scenes, in
communi-ties and hospitals, to support every women and child in
need. As part of our commitment to constantly improving services,
the counseling teams from all
By SARAH YOUNGof Empower Pacifi c
Empower Pacifi c branches that are in Nadi, Lautoka, Suva and
Labasa, alongside Legal Aid personnel, have participated in
Vodafone mWomen workshops around the country.
Vodafone mWomen was formulated with the purpose of empowering
women and children in Fiji. According to WHO, mental illness such
as depression stress etc will be leading causing of death,
there-fore Vodafone mWomen seeks to support, address this prob-lem,
said Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation executive Ambalika Devi.
Empower Pacifi c CEO, Rhi-anon Vichta stated: We believe that we
have a duty to help end all forms of violence against women and
children. We take this duty seriously, and as such my staff have
attended the mWomen workshops to discuss the important issues
facing our mothers, sisters and daughters, including domestic
violence, child abuse, cyber bullying, rape, sexual assault,
separation and maintenance. The positive feedback I received was
over-whelming and staff reported learning a lot from Madam Shameem
and Mr Sharma, who provided interesting and inter-active
presentations whilst shar-ing their in depth legal knowl-edge and
expertise.
Ms Vichta further stated: Staff have also learnt more about the
Vodafone mWomen strategy and how it provides practical legal
information and promotes awareness on wom-ens issues to all those
who subscribe in Fiji. The strategy makes it easier for those
ex-periencing violence to confi -dentially come forward, access
support, be aware of the options available to them, know how to
apply for protection orders and what to expect when engag-ing with
the criminal justice system. It equips women with the knowledge
they need to be able to make informed deci-
sions around their own safety and protection from the touch of a
button. The strategy also includes a broader response to violence
against women and children, including a focus on prevention and
early interven-tion through community educa-tion and empowerment.
This is truly an innovative response by Vodafone for two reasons it
will not only educate women so that they can be better protected
but it will also provide another snapshot of the often hidden
violence occurring within our communities.
Empower Pacifi c staff have also been able to present on the
great work being done on the frontline and how victims can be
supported to overcome trauma they have faced.
From our experience of working with women and chil-dren
suffering violence - they are often dealing with so many other
issues as well, including substance abuse, mental health problems,
low self-esteem or money troubles. My staff were able to highlight
the impor-tance of the continuum of care and holistic support to
the other workshop participants, Ms Vi-chta added.
They (staff) were able to identify that women are able to reach
out even if they are not ready to go to police and still get help,
whether this be just by counseling staff walking them through the
options available or by building up their courage to speak to
authorities in the fi rst brave step to safety. Staff also
highlighted to participants the relationship between gender based
violence and child abuse.
It is known that children from families in which violence is
occurring are more likely to be abused. Children and young people
who witness gender based violence are also more likely to have
mental health issues, such as anxiety, depres-sion, behavioral
problems and abuse substances. Finally, they
were able to share stories of success, stories of hope and
stories of amazing resilience of women and children who have faced
and overcome insur-mountable odds.
While criminal justice is important and helps the family heal,
Empower Pacifi cs prior-ity will always be the psychoso-cial
wellbeing of those affected by violence. Providing treat-ment
services following gender based violence or sexual as-sault
requires a client-focused, strengths based and sensitive approach.
We also acknowledge that solutions need to have a whole of
community approach, taking into account the victim, the family and
the community. We ensure that a holistic ap-proach, including
social, emo-tional, spiritual, physical and cultural well-being is
consid-ered when developing plans to address the needs of
clients.
Responding to gender based violence and womens is-sues is a
priority area for us and we take this responsibility seri-
ously, said Ms Vichta. We acknowledge that the
victims family and whole com-munity is often profoundly
af-fected. The response of loved ones and community support network
is critical to resolv-ing feelings of deep shame and fear that are
often experienced. They fear the negative opinions or blame of
others. They worry they will be rejected or outcast or shamed.
Women, children and youth can recover from the horrors of abuse
infl icted on them we see it fi rst hand, but they rarely do it
alone. Support services and community, work-ing together, speaking
out and breaking the silence, sending a clear message that violence
and abuse is not accepted in our communities these are the things
that will make our com-munities safer long-term.
Ms Vichta acknowledged the initiative taken by Vodafone in
establishing the mWomen ser-vice. We applaud Vodafones commitment
to going above and beyond to provide a wide-
spread womens community service which provides a valu-able
opportunity for women to reach out for support in times of need,
and provides them with much needed information so that they can
make informed choices in their lives.
If you are concerned about women or children who may be
experiencing violence, contact your local Department of Social
Welfare, your nearest hospital or health centres or Police
sta-tion. You can also contact your local Empower Pacifi c
Coun-seling and Community Ser-vices Branch Offi ce by phone or in
person, or go to Ministry of Health Hospitals in Suva (CWM), Nadi,
Lautoka and La-basa and ask to speak with an Empower Pacifi c
counsellor or social worker. If your organiza-tion or group would
like train-ing to raise awareness on child abuse and how to
appropriately respond, please contact Em-power Pacifi c Head offi
ce on 6650482 or go to our website www.empowerpacifi c.com
Counsellors from Empower Pacifi c at the mCorp Symposium
Counsellors from Empower Pacifi c at the mCorp Symposium on
Saturday, May 25 at the Tanoa International Hotel. Photo: on
Saturday, May 25 at the Tanoa International Hotel. Photo: SHALENDRA
PRASAD.SHALENDRA PRASAD.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 1
MUSKET COVE RESORT & MARINA
Marama Meeting Room opens at Musket Cove Island Resort and
MarinaEvent organisers now have a fantastic island alternative
for meetings, special events, weddings, and boutique incen-tive
groups. The newly opened Marama Room at Musket Cove Island Resort
is a purpose built, air conditioned 200 square metre room capable
of seating 100 guests.
It boasts a wonderful outdoor undercover breakout area with
lovely views of the Mamanuca Islands.
The idea was born out of a need to offer guests an
interna-tional standard meeting and events facility. But with all
the charm and atmosphere of a Fiji Island resort.
The end result is a space that we feel is in-keeping with the
steps Musket Cove has taken to enhance our product. It also speaks
volumes about the priority we place on the event wedding business,
meetings and incentive groups. The Marama Room is sophisticated,
functional and sympathetic to our island surroundings.
An exciting selection of catering, event locations, and team
building options are available. And of course the ever-popular
tropical island weddings are perfectly taken care of - all of which
with the warmth and barefoot hospitality of the Mamanuca
islands.
We aspire to offer both international and local guests a true
taste of Fiji island hospitality with this new addition to our
wonderful resort, says Josephine Smith- Moffat, Com-pany
Director.
Musket Cove Resort is entirely Fijian owned and is Fijis oldest
Resort Company, developed by the pioneer of Fiji Tourism, Mr Dick
Smith.
Situated on the island of MaloloLailai , Musket Cove Is-land
Resorts 55 deluxe Fijian bures and villas offer comfort and privacy
for romantic getaways, weddings and honey-moons.
The sheltered lagoon offers an ideal location to enjoy the host
of water sports, or relax and rejuvenate in our Mandara Day
spa.
With excellent dining options, fresh island-grown pro-duce and
120 friendly staff, Musket Cove Island Resort & Marina provides
a picture postcard location for those search-ing for Romance,
Relaxation and Rejuvenation.
PRESS RELEASE
Mrs Carol Smith offi cially opened the Mrs Carol Smith offi
cially opened the new Marama Room pictured below. new Marama Room
pictured below. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER2
MUSKET COVE RESORT & MARINA
Opening in pictures.... Photos by Margaret Naqiri
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THE JET - FIJIS FIRST COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 3
MUSKET COVE RESORT & MARINA
Welcome to Musket Cove Island Resort
No man needs a vacation so much as the man who has just had one
- Elbert Hubbard
A few words that describe us...Relaxed, casual, friendly,
barefoot, peaceful and just the place if you like sand between your
toes.
Yes, we have white sand beaches and clear blue waters, like many
Fiji islands, but what sets us apart is our space, the choices and
our facilities.
At Musket Cove Island Resort you will fi nd the pace of life
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Musket Cove Island Resort director Musket Cove Island Resort
director Mrs Josephine Smith-Moffat delivers Mrs Josephine
Smith-Moffat delivers her offi cial address during the opening. her
offi cial address during the opening. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.Photo:
MARGARET NAQIRI.
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BULA FESTIVAL 2013
Former Mayor calls for public supportBy SHALENDRA PRASAD
Flashback 2012....photos by Shalendra Prasad
Former Nadi Mayor Jose-phine Williams (pictured) is calling on
people to support the good work of the Bula Festival Association
Trust.
While addressing contes-tants and guests at the launch-ing of
this years festivities at the New Nadi Farmers Club on Saturday,
June 15, Ms Williams commended the as-sociation for making a
differ-ence in the lives of thousands
of people.She said festivals as such
cannot be successful if there is lack of public
participation.
Noting the charitable arm of the festivities, Ms Williams
said that a lot of people may not realize that the money they
spend in the grounds during the festival is in one way or another
helping peo-ple and organizations in need of support.
NBFT trustee Sushila Ra-mesh highlighted the various
achievements of the associa-tion since its initial days.
Mrs Ramesh has been an active members and support-er of the
festival for almost thirty years and has seen great progress over
the years.
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BULA FESTIVAL 2013
Madam Josephine Wil-liams, former Nadi Mayor and our chief guest
for to-night, distinguished guests, members of the Nadi Com-munity,
contestants and my fellow workers in the Nadi Bula Festival
Trust.
We come again to that time of the year when the Bula Festival is
launched for the year 2013. This festival has been ongoing since
its launch in 1960.
It was through the unity of Nadis commercial hous-es, Nadi Town
Council, Air Pacifi c and volunteer mem-
Festival of UnityOffi cial address by Mrs Titilia Vuataki,
president of the Nadi Bula Festival Association Trust on Sat-urday,
June 15 at the New
Nadi Farmers Club
bers of the Nadi commu-nity who came forth with their time and
talent, not forgetting the very beauti-ful young women who had over
the years stood as con-testants to add their beauty and talent that
has made this festival ongoing with an un-broken legacy.
Indeed it has been the unity of the different mem-bers of our
community that has made it possible for families, friends, young
couples and children to come to Prince Charles Park and Koroivolu
Park to enjoy its festivities.
This years theme Fes-tival of Unity has been in-spired by our
governments current efforts to unify us as a nation.
Without unity, we as a na-
tion cannot move forward to achieve our objectives. The NBFA has
been registered as a trust under the charitable trust act 2012.
Objective of the NBFT is to provide an annual fes-tival and
assist the poor and the needy of Nadi. We have done this in the
past as it will be shared with you by our trustee Mrs Sushila
Ra-meshwar.
We will do it again this year and we will do it in the
future.
Sincere thanks by the community of Nadi for pro-viding
sponsorship packag-es and for the chief guest for being with us
today for the launching of the Nadi Bula Festival 2013.
God Bless Fiji and the 2013 Nadi Bula Festival.
Mrs Titilia Vuataki delivers her offi cial address. Photo: Mrs
Titilia Vuataki delivers her offi cial address. Photo: MARGARET
NAQIRI.MARGARET NAQIRI.
Contestants of this years festival. Photo: MARGARET Contestants
of this years festival. Photo: MARGARET NAQIRI.NAQIRI.
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MAMAS PIZZA RE-OPENING IN NADI TOWN
Iconic Mamas Pizza is back in town by popular demand
By MARGARET NAQIRI
It is good news for Pizza lovers who have been miss-ing on the
services of Ma-mas Pizza which was forced to close down because of
the devastating March, 2012 fl oods.
The iconic outlet is back in town and that to not very far from
where it was previ-ously located.
With the re-opening marking a major milestone for the popular
outlet, let us look back at how it all started.
Ms Robin Ragg who is originally from Namosau in Ba started the
company on her own in 1984 in Nadi Town while supporting three
children. The operation was very small back then with six to eight
staff members.
She faced a lot of chal-lenges then, one was being a woman and
secondly the political instabilities were interesting to deal with
and one of the many issues to come to terms with.
Weve been operating for 29 years and Mamas Pizza is locally
owned and managed and we are very committed to our customers, we do
our very best to try keep our customers happy. Our food is of high
value and quality, combined with very consistent service, offered
director Catherine
ODonnell.As a testament to what
Ms ODonnell has just said, Mamas Pizza was awarded with the Trip
Advisor Ex-cellence award in 2012 and again 2013.
We prefer to hire only women, this enables them to become fi
nancially inde-pendent, and develop a new skill set while we train
them up from scratch, ODonnell added.
We sustained massive damage during the fl oods, the majority of
our equip-ment and stock was com-pletely written off, and our ovens
took about three months to fi x to get them back to operating
standards.
It took a signifi cant amount of money to reopen and a lot of
our new equip-ment and furniture was imported while some fur-niture
items were restored and reused. The restaurant is designed in such
a way to minimize the costs of the fl ood and to recover faster
from the fl oods, for example our kitchen is now upstairs. A lot of
us in the West es-pecially business owners in fl ood prone areas
have had to think about how to re-cover quicker from a natural
disaster.
We are very customer focused based and the de-mand from the
customers is the reason we are back in town, we had a lot of
re-
quests from the public and our customers encouraged and
supported us to reopen in town.
I would like to thank our loyal customers and we appreciate
feedback, both good and bad.
Mamas Pizza is en-
joyed by locals & visitors to Fiji. We have a lot of return
customers and some often get customers off their fl ight returning
to Fiji ordering pizzas to get their Mamas Pizza Fix.
Mamas Pizza re- opened in Nadi Town on the third of
May this year. Mamas Pizza Restaurants are also in Na-maka and
Port Denarau.
To celebrate the reopen-ing, Mamas has a new pizza on their
menu. The mouth watering Tandoori Chicken Pizza, marinated chicken
breast with tomatoes, on-
ions, dhania and chillies is now available for all to
en-joy.
Mamas also has a unique message blackboard, where customers can
leave mes-sages for each other espe-cially for birthdays, and other
celebrations.
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VODAFONE FIJI FACT 2013
The starting line-up of the Jacks Nadi team which won the 2013
Vodafone Fiji FACT title. Back (L-R): Munit Krishna,
Ame Votoniu, Amani Makoe, William Valentine, Isoa Ratuva, Uraia
Loki. Front (L-R): Eliki Ravosai, Benaminio
Mateinaqara, Lekima Gonerau, Rusiate Matarerega, Napo-lioni
Qasevakatini. Photo: SHALENDRA PRASAD.
Veteran Nadi rep Watisoni Voli seen here with coach Kamal Swamy
is proud of his son Rusiate Matarerega who
brought victory to Nadi. Photo: MUNAUWAR KHAN
Crazy fan Bal Reddy painted himself Green for the fi nal
showdown againt Ba. Nadi won 3-1. Photo: VIJNESH
CHAND.
Rusiate Matarerega gets the golden boot award from Fiji FA
president Rajesh Patel. Photo: MUNAUWAR KHAN.
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KHUDDAMUL AHMADIYYA MUSLIM JAMAAT
www.reviewofreligion.org
www.mta.tv
www.askislam.org
www.muslimsforpeace.org
Fax: 3370471 Ph: 3382221 Email: amMMi#hotmail.com
Log on to Our International
Website
www.alislam.org
www.islamicfaq.org
$fliateG Websites:
If You Have Any Questions About:The Holy Prophet (pbuh)
Signs and Prophecies of the Promised OneThe Advent of The
Promised Messiah (as)
Death of Jesus (as)Islam and Ahmadiyyat or any other religious
or general knowl-edge questions
You Can Contact Us Via Email or Phone:82 5atu 0ara 5oaG 6amabula
6uva
Fasting is another form of worship found universally in the
world religions. Although there are vast differences regarding the
mode of fasting and the conditions applied to it, the central idea
of fasting is present everywhere. Where it is not mentioned
clearly, it is likely that it may gradually have either been
discontinued or have pe-tered out through gradual decay in
practice. The case of Buddha is an interesting ex-ample. He started
his quest for truth with a severe form of fasting, but later on it
is said that he abandoned this practice because it had adversely
effected his health. In view of this one can understand why he
discon-tinued, but this does not in any way indicate that he had
ceased to believe in fasting. Per-haps that is why some Buddhists,
here and there, still observe some form of fasting.
Fasting in Islam is a highly developed institution, and needs to
be studied in depth. There are two types of injunctions with
re-gards to fasting. One relates to obligatory fasting and the
other to optional. Obligatory fasting is further divided into two
catego-ries:
1. There is one full month in every year in which fasting is
prescribed for Mus-lims all over the world. As the month is a lunar
month, so it keeps changing around the year in relation to the
solar months. This creates a universal balance for the worshippers.
Sometimes the fasting in win-ter months is easy as far as the days
go, in comparison to the long winter nights, while during the
summer months the days become long and exacting. As the lunar
months keep rotating around the year, so Muslims in all parts of
the world have some periods of easy fasting and some of arduous
fasting.
Fasting in Islam begins everywhere at the rst appearance of
dawn, and ends with sunset. During this period one is expected to
abstain from all food and drink completely. It is not just physical
hunger and thirst that constitute the Muslim fast, but the nights
prior to the beginning of the fast acquire a far more important
character and play a central role in the institution of fasting.
The Muslims wake up many hours before dawn for individual prayer
and the remembrance of God. Also the Holy Quran is recited in every
Muslim house much more than in or-dinary days. A greater part of
the night is thus spent in spiritual exercises which make upso the
very essence of fasting.
During the day, apart from restraining from food and water, all
is Muslims are par-ticularly exhorted from vain talk, quarrels and
ghts, or from any such occupation as is below the dignity of a true
believer. No
indulgence in carnal pleasure is allowed; even husband and wife
during the day lead separate lives, except for the formal human
relationship common to all people.
In Islam, alms-giving and care for the destitute is so highly
emphasised that it becomes part of a Muslims daily life. However
when it comes to Ramadhan, the month of fasting, Muslims are
required to redouble their efforts in this eld. It is re-ported of
the Holy Prophet that spending in the cause of the poor was a
routine daily practice with him which has been likened unto a
breeze, never ceasing to bring com-fort and solace to the needy.
However dur-ing Ramadhan, the reporters of the Ahadith -- the
sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa)-- re-mind us that the breeze
seemed to pick up speed and began to blow like strong winds.
Alms-giving and care for the destitute are so highly emphasised,
that in no period during the year do Muslims engage in such
philanthropic purposes as they do during the month of Ramadhan.
2. Other obligatory fasting is most often related to the
condoning of sins by God. This also includes violation of the
obligatory fasts.
The optional fasting is so well promot-ed that it becomes a part
of the righteous Muslims way of life. Although a majority of
Muslims do not go beyond the month of obligatory fasting, some keep
fasts now and then particularly when in trouble. As it is expected
that the prayers offered in fast-ing are more productive, some
people keep extra fasts to ward off their problems, but some do it
only for the sake of winning Al-lahs special favours. There no
limit to this, except that the founder of Islam strongly
discouraged those who had vowed to fast continuously for their
whole life. When the Holy Prophet (sa) came to learn of one such
case, he disapproved of the practice and censured the man for
attempting to achieve liberation as if by forcing his will upon .
He told the person concerned that: Just by putting yourself to
trouble or discom-fort, not only will you be unable to please God,
but you may even earn His displea-sure. He pointed out that over
emphasis on austerity is likely to make one negligent towards ones
wife and children, kith and kin, friends etc.
The Holy Prophet (sa) reminded him specically of his
responsibilities in the area of human relationship: Do your duty to
God as well as the creation of God equi-tably was the advice. To
some, after their insistent petulant begging, he permitted
op-tional fasts only in the style of David, peace be upon him. The
Holy Founder of Islam
Fasting
In one of the Friday Sermon Hazrat Khali-fatul Masih V (atba)
gave a discourse on the excellence of reciting the Holy Quran while
reecting on its meanings and making its teachings part of ones
daily life.
Citing verse 122 of Surah Al Baqarah (2:122) Huzur (aba) began
by explaining the prominence Quranic reading and understand-ing
takes during Ramadan and explained that its revelation started in
this blessed month and that at the time of the Holy Prophetsaw each
Ramadan Hadhrat Gabrielas used to repeat hitherto revealed sections
of the Holy Quran with him. It is in accordance with this Sun-nah
that Muslims try and nish one or two complete readings of the Holy
Quran during Ramadan. However, Huzuraba said Quranic reading should
not be hasty; traditions relate that the Holy Prophet(saw) enjoined
even those whose mother-tongue was Arabic not to nish a reading of
the Quran in less than three days, while some traditions mention
not less than seven days. Huzuraba said the main objective of
reading the Quran is to reect on it and make it a part of ones
life. That is what the Companions of the Holy Prophetsaw did and
the verse above (2:122) bears witness to that.
Huzur(aba) said during Ramadan everyone wakes early to observe
na Salat and tries to recite as much Quranic verses as one
remem-bers during this, later, one reads the Quran at Fajr time.
Expounding the preference of read-ing the Quran at this time
Huzur(aba) cited verse 79 of Surah Bani Israel (17:79) and said
that we must endeavour and continue with these practices after
Ramadan is over.
Huzur(aba) said each person have their in-dividual style and
capacity to read the Quran, some read it quickly while others
unhurriedly, what we are enjoined is to read it with
under-standing, as the Quran itself mentions in verse 5 of Surah
Muzzammil (73:5). Huzur(aba) re-
lated a personal experience when once some-one checked him for
what they thought was hesitant reading while Huzur(aba) assured
them that it was his style of reading the Quran and that was the
way he enjoyed it; to read it thoughtfully and with pauses.
Huzur(aba) said it is in deference to the Quran that it is read
with consideration, even if one knows the meanings well; it is a
believ-ers task to read the Quran with full compre-hension.
Huzur(aba) said it carried guidance for people of all capacities
and background and it was up to us how much of its teachings we
adopted.
Today it is each Ahmadis duty to adopt this book that carries
guidance with profusion in our daily lives; to act upon its
command-ments and to avoid what it forbids and never to be among
those about whom the Quran states in verse 31 of Surah Al Furqan
(25:31) that they discarded it. Referring to this verse Huzur(aba)
said the current age is the one that is mentioned therein when
people have devel-oped countless other interests to occupy their
time, to name one, the internet. The Promised Messiahas revived the
teaching of the Quran in the present age, therefore it is the
obligation of each Ahmadi to not only adopt its teachings but to
propagate it further. Huzuraba said the Promised Messiahas said
Those who shall honour the Quran, shall be honoured in the
hereafter.
Citing verse 83 of Surah Bani Israel (17:83) Huzur(aba) said the
healing factor mentioned in the verse can only be truly derived in
physi-cal as well as spiritual terms if we truly reect of what we
read and adopt it sincerely.
Huzur(aba) remarked that while there is a plethora of
publications against Islam, some non-Muslims do write with a
positive ap-proach, for example Karen Armstrong, a well-known
religious author has written about the comments Fay Weldon (a
British writer) made about the Holy Quran in which she said that it
is food for no thought and that it gives weapons and strength to
the thought police. Explaining Huzur(aba) said the Quran itself has
claimed that in it is only guidance for those who are righteous
(2:3). Reiterating Huzura-ba said having adopted the teachings of
the Quran we need to silence such people with our deeds reecting
the pure teaching.
Huzur(aba) related several Ahadith to further elucidate the
blessings of reading and enacting on the Holy Quran. The Holy
Prophet(saw) said that good decreases and evil increases in a house
where the Quran is not read, he enjoined to enhance the beauty of
the Holy Quran with ones ne voice. He also said that on the Day of
Judgment the Quran shall intercede on behalf of those who read it
sincerely, that Surah Baqarah and Surah Al Imran shall defend those
who read them. The Holy Prophet(saw) called Surah Baqarah a part of
the zenith of the Holy Quran. He said that reading of Quranic
portions in Salat is of the most excellence, that it is of greater
excel-lence than otherwise reading it.
Huzur(aba) read many extracts from the writings of the Promised
Messiah(as) illus-trating the merits of reading the Quran. The
Promised Messiah(as) said reading of the Quran is the root/core of
worship; it is the Word of the Beloved and when words of a be-loved
are read they generate passion and fer-vour in one.
May Allah enable us all to ever be the re-cipients of the
benecence of the blessings of the Quran.
told them that it was the practice of David to fast one day and
abstain from doing so the next. Throughout his life, after he made
this vow, he kept the fast on alternate days. So the Holy Prophet
(sa) said I can only permit you that much and no more.
The institution of fasting is extremely important because it
cultivates the believer in almost every area of his spiritual life.
Among other things, he learns through personal experience about
what hunger, poverty, loneliness and discomforts mean to the less
fortunate sections of society. Ab-stention from even such practices
during the month of Ramadhan as are permissible in everyday life
plays a constructive role in rening the human character.
Excellence of RecitingHoly Quran in Ramadan
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor AhmadKhalifatul Masih V (atba)
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EDUCATION
Hard work is key to success: BaranBy SHALENDRA PRASAD
For twenty-two year old Sumeet Kumar Baran, impos-sible seems to
be nothing but a word for those who do not work hard.
Coming from a farming and business family back-ground, Baran has
broken all barriers by obtaining a Bach-elor in Information
Systems
degree from the Fiji National University.
The young man who hails from Votualevu is only one of four
students who have been able to attain Bachelor in IS degree in the
last graduation and he does not wish to stop there.
Enrolling in the Bachelors program was a career chang-ing and
challenging step for me because I was also helping my dad in his
hardware busi-ness, Baran offered.
For the fi rst year of Bach-elors program I studied at the
Natabua campus in Lautoka which was named Lautoka Teachers College
before. Af-ter completing my 700 level units in Lautoka, I went to
Namaka FNU Campus to complete my 500 level and 600 level units and
at the fi nal trimester I had to enroll in Ba FNU Campus to
complete my last unit which was neither of-fered in Lautoka nor in
Nama-ka Campus so I had to travel
to Ba Campus to attend that left over unit so that I could fi
nish my Bachelors program on time for the graduation, Baran
said.
While Baran has achieved the Bachelor in IS degree with great
dedication and hard work, this grandson of a cane farmer says there
is no look-ing back at all.
I am enrolled in Post Graduate program in Infor-mation Systems
at the Uni-versity of the South Pacifi c
Suva Campus and travel to the capital once a week for my
classes, Baran added.
The reason why I chose to study in this fi eld is just because
from childhood I had an interest in dealing with new technologies
and computers so I made a quick decision to enroll in this fi eld
after I com-pleted form 7 from Votualevu College.
Enrolling and starting post graduate in I.S is a great step of
honour for me, and my
future plan is to attain "Mas-ters in I.S" which is just few
steps away from me. Reach-ing up to this level was very challenging
for me specially because helping and manag-ing dad in his business
and at the same time studying was challenging but hard work is the
key to success.
I would like to sincerely thank my dad Anil and mum Saroja for
their love and sup-port in making me achieve my goals in life.
Sumeet Baran, left, with his friends who also Sumeet Baran,
left, with his friends who also graduated with a Bachelor in
Information graduated with a Bachelor in Information Systems
degree. Photo: SUPPLIED.Systems degree. Photo: SUPPLIED.
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HUMAN RESOURCES
By SUNILA KARAN
Factors that infl uence employee performance - Part 2
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Ineffective communica-tion process in an organiza-tion will also
affect employ-ee performance. Isolation, information reaching the
employees too late, or sabo-tage of communication will all affect
employee perfor-mance. In many organiza-tions, ground fl oor
workers are left out or neglected from the communication
chan-nels.
Discrimination, due to favoritism, age, gender, and race can
also infl uence em-ployee performance. If em-ployees feel that they
are not valued due to their gen-der, age, or race they will become
frustrated and their performance will drop.
Research has shown that workers who believe that they have a
great deal of responsibility but very little control or
decision-making power in their jobs are at risk of getting
frustrated or los-ing motivation. Competence is also a factor that
relates to performance. Are employ-ees challenged enough in their
jobs? Do they feel se-cure? Job security is a major factor in
employee perfor-mance. At the same time, if
an employee does not fi nd his or her job meaningful and does
not understand the signifi cance of it, this also will affect
employee perfor-mance.
Clarity in ones job is again a factor that infl uences
performance. Feeling uncer-tain and unclear about what your duties
are, how they may be changing, or what your companys goals are,
also determine the employ-ees performance level.
For example, hundreds of sick and injured come to our hospitals
daily for treat-ment and care, putting their trust in medical staff
to