The Victoria Tauvu Festival is a first of its kind in Victoria for Fijians to reconnect to a traditional indigenous Fijian bonding event which will unite the Fijians in Victoria with Fijian community members from each of the 14 provinces of Fiji. The bonding event is a showcase of each province to perform culturally via song, acting and dance in front of the other provinces.
The main aim of TAUVU Day was to bring Fijians together and create that momentum of bonding together, create new relationships and strengthen existing relationships.
TAUVU is a relationship between two groups in Fiji, whether distrtict or sub-division of a district and symbolises the ability to create bonds despite differences, exercise mutual relations and privileges to indulge in good natured fun activities and laughter that promotes and enhances positive social values.
We were privileged to have the Honorable Mayor of the Greater City of Dandenong, Cr Jim Memeti as our guest speaker. We were also honored to have representatives from Victoria Rugby, Ms Victoria Johnson and James Liley.
We would like to thank the Greater City of Dandenong for awarding us a grant that enabled us to organise this event and we would also like to thank all our sponsors, CMY-LEMANA Empower Pasifika Project team and Sweet by Nature.
We would like to thank the leaders of all the Provinces that supported this great initiative and actively worked together with their members of their provinces to participate at this event, including their contribution in donating all the delicious variety of Fijian cuisines, for our dinner.
We would like to thank the Province of BA and Mr Netani Coriakula for the traditional welcoming ceremony "Veiqaraqaravi Vaka Vanua".
We would like to thank everyone that came to support this great event and donated their "Soli" to their respective Provinces that participated on the day. All monies collected for each Province that participated, was given back to each Province as planned.
We would like to thank all our volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure that this event was a success.
Last but not least, we would like to thank the Chair of Fijian Language and Culture, Mr Apisalome Coka for this great initiative, from the initial planning stages to it's successful implementation, our President Sylvia Coombe for going above and beyond to make it happen and the rest of the FCAV committee for their endless support.
May God bless our Fijian community in Victoria and may God bless this beautiful country Australia, we now call home.
