Meet the first of our 13 confirmed King Contestants, for this year’s Vodafone Hibiscus Festival.

Amit Verma’s Advocacy message is on air pollution effects on our land and its people.

“The reason behind my selecting this topic is because it is an issue that poses a threat to all of mankind as a result of our very own cruel actions against Mother Nature which is also a contributing factor to Climate Change,” Mr Verma said.

He said we live in a nation that is still developing.

“According to the World Bank set of development indicators, Carbon Dioxide Emissions in Fiji were reported at 1.9408 (metric tons per capita) in 2013” which also according to statistics is the highest we’ve reached over the years,” he said.

“Being a part of a beautiful country like Fiji I strongly believe that we must not let a paradise like ours be affected by the adverse conditions of climate change and in order to make a change globally we must begin right here at home.

WHO IS AMIT VERMA?

Amit Singh Verma, 24, is originally from Ba and is an only child. He was raised in Ba and Lautoka. He attended Xavier College and Tilak High School and is a Graphics Artist and a DJ by profession.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION WHEN YOU WERE TOLD THAT YOU were ONE OF THE KING CONTESTANTS?

Amit:  I was on my way home when I received a call from our coordinator, Ben, that I had been selected as a King contestant. I was really excited and it was a proud moment for me to be a part of one of Pacific’s biggest festivals.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO AT THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL?

Amit:  What I am most looking forward to in this year’s festival is making sure my message reaches and leaves an impact on the people of this nation especially the youths to help raise awareness to protect our future generations from the effects of Climate Change.

HAS IT EVER CROSSED YOUR MIND GROWING UP AND WATCHING THE FESTIVAL THAT ONE DAY YOU’LL BE A PART OF IT?

Amit:  Well, I have always been fascinated with stage shows and festivals and it was one of my many goals to be a part of the biggest festival in the South Pacific.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE DOING AS A PAST TIME?

Amit: What I like doing in my past time is watch movies (mainly fictional) or documentaries. Reading comics, sketching and most importantly spending quality time with family members and friends.

WHO IS YOUR GREATEST INSPIRATION BY FAR?

Amit:  My greatest inspiration would be my father because he is someone who is always there for me after I lost my mother at a young age. He has always played the roles of both parents in my life for which I am grateful. My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?

Amit: Some of the challenges in my line of work are: job market saturation and increasing competition, generalists vs specialists, everyone wants to be a designer and the rise of freelancers affects traditional stable employment.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS YEAR’S HIBISCUS?

Amit: What I would like to take away from this year’s Hibiscus is the support and love of the public and contestants and satisfaction of knowing that my message would leave an impact on our community and country.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITES?

Quote: “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change”  – Michael Jackson

Book: DC UNIVERSE VOL 3: Batman

Food: Lamb curry rice and salad

Song:  I’m the one – DJ Khaled ft Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Quavo and Chance the Rapper

Movie: Lego Batman

Guilty pleasure: Eating Chocolate

Amit Verma is one of the 13 King contestants at this year’s Vodafone Hibiscus Festival that will be held from August 11 to 19 at the Vodafone Arena, Suva.

Edited by Karalaini Waqanidrola

Feedback:  mere.satakala@fijisun.com.fj