25
Nov, 2024

Empowering Women: ACSOG’s New Vision Under Tuivanuavou

By ACSOG Media

Adi Lusiana Tuivanuavou, ACSOG President

Adi Lusiana Tuivanuavou is the new President of the Adi Cakobau School Old Girls (ACSOG). Ms Tuivanuavou is a seasoned human resource professional with over 25 years of experience in regional organizational management who has been actively involved with the ACSOG since 2014. She has served in various leadership roles. These include Vice President and National Executive Council member. In October 2024, she was elected after presenting a dynamic vision focused on growth, innovation, and member engagement.

Since joining ACS in 1985 and actively participating in ACSOG from 2014, Tuivanuavou has seen its potential to offer more to members, reflecting on her journey from engaged member to President.

Building on her extensive experience, Ms. Tuivanuavou outlined her vision to propel the alum association into a new era of growth and innovation. In a stirring address at the ACSOG Inc. Annual General Meeting, shortly before she was elected President, the National President said she would draws on her experience as a long-serving ACSOG National Executive Council member. 

Building on a Strong Foundation

With immediate past president Ilisapeci Movono

In addition, she paid tribute to the immediate past president, Mrs. Ilisapeci Movono, under whose leadership Ms. Tuivanuavou was one of two vice presidents, the other being Ro Mereani Rokotuibau. The NEC oversaw significant projects for ACSOG, including chairing two milestone birthday celebrations, achieving debt-free status by paying off Charlton House, and establishing a mini gym for ACS athletes. Under Ms. Movono’s guidance, the association also supported the school in reclaiming the prestigious Coca-Cola athletics cup, showcasing a commitment to the holistic growth of the institution.

Looking back, over a decade ago, Ms. Tuivanuavou decided to become an active member of ACSOG. She chose this path rather than remaining a passive observer. “I didn’t want to keep suggesting that the already busy members do something about my ideas,” she explained. “The change was going to have to start with me.” 

And start with her; it did. Ms. Tuivanuavou spearheaded numerous initiatives that have left a lasting impact on the association. Her vision for the future is equally ambitious. She plans to review the association’s legal and governance instruments. This will ensure that ACSOG has the frameworks to navigate the years ahead. 

Driving Membership and Engagement

With fellow ACSOG90s members, Biu Betenivalu and Meme Tuinaceva

Similarly, recognising the importance of a robust and engaged membership, Ms. Tuivanuavou is championing a registration drive to encourage the association’s online community of over 4,000 members to become formally registered.

“We have over 4,000 members on our Facebook page, yet only 500 are registered,” she noted. “That means we potentially engage over 6,000 people to run ACSOG.”

Ms Tuivanuavou’s passion for empowering women is evident in her plans for an ACSOG eShop. In this platform, members can sell pre-loved uniforms, masi, mats, and other items. This initiative provides a platform for entrepreneurship and fosters a sense of community and self-sufficiency. 

Acknowledging the challenges of balancing personal priorities with ACSOG responsibilities, Ms. Tuivanuavou emphasised the importance of mentorship and stewardship. 

She encourages younger members to participate in the association’s review and mentoring circles, recognising the invaluable learning opportunities they present.

“I am motivated to prepare the ACSOG body for younger members who will recognise its value and want to progress into the future,” Ms. Tuivanuavou declared.

With over 25 years of experience in human resources, Tuivanuavou excels in regional organisational management. Tuivanuavou has a proven track record of leadership.

Preparing for the Future

As President, she aims to tackle some of ACSOG’s longstanding challenges, focusing on sustainable and non-labour-intensive initiatives. She recognises that members have various personal commitments. 

Her plans include trademarking ACSOG’s brand, improving the commercial viability of the Charlton House investment, and focusing on including the organisation’s 4,000 Facebook members, of whom only 500 are formally registered. She hopes the registration fees will help fund ACSOG and allow for environmentally sustainable practices.

Members of the ACSOG National Executive Council.

Additionally, she plans to expand the ACSOG network by creating an online directory that will enable members to connect with consultants, legal experts, and professionals across various industries.

She is particularly passionate about engaging younger alumni, recognising that millennial graduates need a platform that resonates with their interests and schedules. Tuivanuavou advocates for mentoring circles where younger members can connect with experienced ACSOG professionals, gaining invaluable insights to advance their careers.

Tuivanuavou’s goals are rooted in resilience and stewardship. As she takes the reins, she is confident that ACSOG will continue to leave a legacy as a strong, supportive community that empowers women to make a difference in their personal and professional lives.

ENDS

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Get Involved

Five practical ways you can support Adi Lusi’s vision an efficient, inclusive, and connected alumnae:

1. Participate in the Membership and Registration Drive  

Members can encourage fellow alumni to register with ACSOG formally. By promoting the registration drive on social media, personal networks, and at alumni events, they can help grow the official membership. Increased participation brings additional resources, and active members strengthen ACSOG’s collective voice and impact.

2. Contribute Skills to the ACSOG Network Directory  

Members can volunteer their expertise to create a comprehensive online directory. This directory would allow alumni to seek advice, hire consultants, and connect with professionals across legal, real estate, and education fields. Members with IT, legal, or organisational skills could directly help set up and maintain this valuable resource.

3. Volunteer in Mentoring Circles for Younger Members  

Experienced alumni can take part in mentoring circles, guiding younger members who are starting their careers. This initiative helps foster intergenerational support within ACSOG, equipping young professionals with networking and career advice while creating a sense of continuity and shared purpose across generations.

4. Support the E-Shop by Donating or Purchasing Items  

Members can contribute preloved uniforms, school memorabilia, and cultural items like masi and mats to ACSOG’s e-shop. By sourcing items from within the ACS community, the e-shop can become a self-sustaining platform that generates revenue for ACSOG and allows members to connect through shared history.

5. Help Plan or Sponsor Events and Fundraisers  

ACSOG members can volunteer to organise milestone events, athletic meets, and other fundraisers, or sponsor them directly if they’re in a position to do so. By helping with these events, members can bring in additional funds and foster a stronger sense of community, all while reducing the reliance on membership fees or labour-intensive fundraising activities.

Ms Tuivanuavou (middle) served on the ACSOG National Executive Council

2
Oct, 2023

Indigenous Champion to Environmental Leader

The personal journey and experience of an indigenous Fijian researcher. From environmental conservation work with the United Nations over the world’s most pressing ecological issues to the dramatic health struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic, the author offers advice to aspiring Ph.D. students and emphasises the importance of using Indigenous frameworks.

By Winifereti Nainoca (Mrs) nee Makutu. PhD

“My sincerest apologies in advance as I will sing an inevitable “Selfie Song”.”My sincerest apologies in advance as I will sing an inevitable “Selfie Song”.” My sincerest apologies in advance as I will sing an inevitable “Selfie Song”.”My sincerest apologies in advance as I will sing an inevitable “Selfie Song”.

I have many voices – an indigenous woman from the fisher tribe, kai vanua ‘ca’… ‘vinaka Sara, raised by a strong woman of substance, inspired by a trailblazer older sister (OG Nau Pani), lucky to be born into a loving family, wananavu to have raised my own nuclear family with strong and reliable other half, privileged to be part of the Kui Nation (inhouse 1970-1975) and for lifetime thereafter sisterhood (Visionary, Resilient, Transcendent) and the cream on the cake – blessed to be a favoured daughter of the Most High.

God has steered my pathway through life- all I had to do was work very hard when He opened the door. I did BSc GCEd in Chem & Bio at USP (1983), MEnv Sc (Hons) at Uni of Wollongong (1999) and PhD (Env Planning & Conservation) at Massey Uni (2011) – graduating at 54 years old! Thanking God for the Fijian Affairs Board Scholarship. He Chooses & He Equips!

I was privileged to work at the Fiji Institute of Technology (FIT) teaching Applied Science (Analytical Chem, Soil Science, Water Treatment, Industrial Micro-bio, Marine Ecology, etc) and, of course, Occupational Health and safety to Engineering Schools, joining as Assistant Lecturer and leaving as a Head of School 20 years later. 

The careers out of FIT (now FNU) include being an Industrial Lab Technician, Environmentalist, and Engineer (Automotive, Aircraft, Electronic, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil, Architect, and Building), apart from the many courses and prospective career openings in the Commerce and Art streams.

As a graduate in Environment, I joined the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from 2012 until March 2023 to work on Environmental Conservation, Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, Biodiversity Conservation, Land degradation, Catchment Management, Marine Protected areas, etc.

My role included overseeing projects (numbering about 45+ at its peak and a budget of FJD84mil this year in 9 Pacific Island Countries). It involved proposal formulation, implementation, and the end of the project. I had to quickly learn how to use donor language (GEF – Global Env Facility, GCF -Green Climate Fund & other bilateral funding) using proposal templates and working closely with government and stakeholders (Community to Cabinet- C2C). Ladies – project experience is valuable!

My pick of the top 9 environmental issues:

  • Population: All other major environmental issues flow from the fact that we are overpopulating the planet. The world’s population has tripled in the last 60 years, putting stress on every environmental aspect. Man’s activities – Anthropogenic activities are responsible for causing all types of environmental issues. 
  • Loss of Biodiversity: Humans have destroyed and continue to destroy the habitats of species on a daily basis. When we exterminate one spp,  it has a knock-on effect on the food chain, which in turn upsets the Ecosystems dependent on one another
  • Water accessibility: One-third of humans have inadequate access to fresh water. The number is expected to increase to up to two-thirds by 2050.
  • Pollution. Common toxic substances include heavy metals, nitrates and plastic. A lot of the plastics that humans discard end up in the ocean. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch a Swirling Plastic Soup You Can See from Space (bigger than NZ)
  • Ozone Layer Depletion: Depletion of our Ozone O3 layer is mainly due to the release of chemical pollution containing the chemicals Chlorine and Bromine. The layer blocks many of the harmful UV rays from the sun that can damage living tissue 
  • Deforestation: Since 1990, half of the world’s rainforests have been destroyed. The clearing of forests continues at an alarming rate. The population is growing at a rapid pace due to the demand for food, shelter, and clothes has almost tripled in the last few decades
  • Global Warming: increase in earth’s temperature due to the effect of greenhouse gases called carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour and other gases. These gases possess heat trapping capacity, but the increased amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) results in global warming, which can result in melting glaciers, climate change, droughts, diseases and an increase in hurricane frequency. Trees (that we are cutting down) remove CO2 from the atmosphere!
  • Rising sea levels: Sea level rise is caused by the added water from melting land ice and the expansion of seawater as it warms. According to NASA, sea level is rising at the rate of 3.24mm/year. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international organisation created by the United Nations that produces climate change models, has predicted that sea levels could rise as much as 21 feet (6.4 meters) in the next century if global warming continues unabated. Problems created include encroaching waters onto human settlements, saltwater inundation of freshwater supplies and coastal crop plantations, especially in the Pacific.
  • Climate Change: climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among others, that occur over several decades or longer.

A case of Lazarus – back from the dead: in 2021, during the peak of the COVID period, I was medically evacuated by being flown to Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital. I am eternally grateful to God and forever grateful to the UN/UNDP, Fiji & New Zealand governments for the life-changing facilitation. I slept over 2 weeks, experienced several dialyses, had a heart attack and had a tracheostomy, waking up fully paralysed with rots starting to happen at some of the extremities. After 10 weeks of hospitalisation, God sent me back to earth because my work was not done yet 😊

Giving back to the community: Since my PhD thesis was on iTaukei Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and iTaukei Social Capital, I became an indigenous champion (and happy to oblige) by default – please appreciate that Indigenous rights is not racism.

‘I used the Crab – Qari (Brachyura spp) for my Ph.D. theoretical framework. Meanwhile, with two other gents (married to 2 OGs), we administer the “iTaukei Academic Research” Facebook Page where iTaukei can discuss research on us and research by us in a safe space. Since retirement, I have been blessed to be the Chairperson of the Rewa Think Tank that the Rewa Bose Ni Yasana mandated through the Chair (Ro Macanawai) to facilitate the formulation of the Rewa Strategic Development Plan 2023-2027. Rewa SDP used the Mud Lobster – Mana (Thalassina anomala) as the framework for the Rewa SDP work. 

A word of advice to the young ladies – if you are hoping to pursue a PhD, do a Masters with a thesis instead of 100% coursework. 

As an indigenous Fijian, use an Indigenous framework (such as the Mana above for Rewa SDP):

  • WHY – contextualisation, relevance, sense of ownership, value, identity rekindling, reviving
  • WHAT- Use of Indigenous Traditional:
  • Totem (Every Fijian has a plant, animal, fish) 
  • Traditional Ecological Knowledge (values & beliefs, practices, knowledge, skills) 
  • Way of life Concepts – Bula vakavanua – solesolevakI, etc
  • Ecologically significant plant/animal spp in the ecosystem
  • Traditional craft (mat, fan, masi, etc)

HOW – creativity (depending on 2 above)

And my song here ends…. Though God willing, other upcoming verses will continue to be written.

 Vinaka vakalevu!

30
Sep, 2023

Adi Cakobau School

Adi Cakobau School was named after Adi Litia Cakobau, the granddaughter of Ratu Seru Epenisa Cakobau, the King of Fiji who united the islands under his authority in 1871 before cession to Great Britain.

Located at Sawani in the Tikina o Tuna in the province of Naitasiri, Adi Cakobau School is a government owned and operated boarding school with a roll of approximately 500 students in the hostel and 500 who travel daily for classes.

Originally designed to provide an intermediate education for girls from noble families, Adi Cakobau School is now a merit entry based school which requires high academic and all rounder excellence.

Students of Adi Cakobau Schoo are housed and trained in four houses each named for Fijian flowers: Kakala, Mokosoi, Uci and Lagakali. An extra house which houses final year students is Charlton named for the schools founder.

30
Sep, 2023

Emberson Is Now Acting Secretary-General

By Fonua Talei, Fiji Sun | 20211501

New Acting Secretary-General Jeanette Emberson (left), with former Acting Secretary-General Viniana Namosimalua. Photo: Parliament of Fiji

The Deputy Secretary-General to Parliament Jeanette Emberson has replaced Viniana Namosimalua as Acting Secretary-General.

Ms Namosimalua confirmed yesterday that her last day of work was on Tuesday and Mrs Emberson has taken up the acting post.

In a statement, the Constitutional Offices Commission said they have decided to re-advertise the vacancy and have advised the President to appoint Mrs Emberson until a substantive appointment is made.

“Ms Emberson’s acting appointment is effective from 12 January 2021, since Ms Viniana Namosimalua’s appointment as acting Secretary-General to Parliament was not renewed,” the Commission said.

Mrs Emberson (nee Terubea) attended Adi Cakobau School (ACS) from 1996 to 2002 and was a Uci House member.

30
Sep, 2023

Tribute for late Taufa Vakatale

By Peceli Naviticoko, FBC News | 20232806

The Late Taufa Vakatale.

Opposition Leader Inia Seruratu has expressed his condolences on the passing of a giant in Fiji’s history, the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education, Taufa Vakatale.

Seruiratu says late Vakatale was a woman of firsts.

He adds she was Fiji’s first female Deputy Prime Minister; the first ever Fijian woman elected as a Cabinet Minister; the first indigenous woman appointed as a Deputy High Commissioner; and the first Fijian woman to serve as a Secondary School principal.

Seruiratu adds late Vakatale rose in the era when women, especially iTaukei women, had to contend with limits placed on them by society.

He says she shattered glass ceilings and was a role model for all women and young girls in Fiji.

Meanwhile, Labour Leader Mahendra Chaudhry says late Vakatale will be remembered for a long and distinguished career as a civil servant, educationist, diplomat and politician.