FSC reclaims Miss Charity crown after two years

Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited (FSC) employees rallied behind their queen contestant Verenaisi Shekinah Waikarawa to raise $20,804.70 and reclaim the Miss Charity crown after two years.

Ms Waikarawa was crowned Miss Charity at the Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North at Subrail Park in Labasa last Saturday.

Despite the ongoing challenges facing the sugar industry, FSC has continued to support the festival’s charity chest for more than a decade by entering a queen contestant each year and raising funds for services in the Northern Division.

The runner-up was Miss Labasa Divisional Hospital Isabella Sarafina Helen Raidriwa, who raised $13,807.75.

Her sponsor was the Miss Charity winner in 2024 and 2025.

Ms Waikarawa was also Second Runner Up in the Miss Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North category.

She thanked FSC employees for their fundraising efforts and sugarcane farmers who continued to invest in their farms.

“I am wearing this crown because of the hardworking employees of FSC,” Ms Waikarawa said.

“As their weighbridge clerk at the Labasa branch, I have seen how tirelessly they worked for more than a month to help prepare me.”

Her advocacy focused on combating drug and substance abuse among young people in the North.

“I chose this topic because I wanted to advocate on major issues that are already a threat and are also affecting our youth in this generation,” she said.

“I joined this festival because I believed a crown should represent more than beauty; it should represent purpose, courage and service.”

Ms Waikarawa is originally from Nabalebale Village, Cakaudrove, and has maternal links to Namoli Village, Labasa.

The part-time University of the South Pacific student said balancing work, education, family responsibilities and personal growth as a queen contestant had taught her that achieving goals required patience, discipline and resilience.