Bua Forest Owners Receive Over $105k in Education Assistance
“Education is a powerful tool for change. It is a proven tool that empowers individuals socially, economically, politically, and culturally,” Ratu Rakuita said.
Saturday 22 June 2024 | 15:49
Group executive chairman, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure. Photo: Fiji Pine Limited
Over 110 members of landowning units of Fiji Pine Limited’s Bua Forest have received nearly $105,000 in education assistance from the company in 2024.
The assistance covers the educational needs of 63 mataqali (clam) members at the University of the South Pacific, University of Fiji, Fiji National University, Vishan Institute of Technology, ServicePro International Tourism, Caregivers Training Institute Pte Limited, Loloma and Kauwai CareGiving Agency.
An additional 50 mataqali members will be trained by Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) to be able to operate small vessels in the coast of Lekutu and Navakasiga in Bua.
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At least 12 other students of Bua Forest received laptops worth $12, 350.
The funding assistance is taken out of the company’s Landowner Community Development Fund (LCDF), a pool that extracts landowners’ benefits on a 5.5 per cent basis from logging, cartage and road operations in all of the Fiji Pine Group of Company’s six forest stations.
Bua Forest has, in recent years, provided millions of dollars worth of logs for the company mills in Drasa, Lautoka, and Wairiki in Bua.
Although the LCDF assists with other critical projects like rural electrification, water and sanitation and sports sponsorship, the Group has in recent years prioritised education assistance for landowners.
Group executive chairman, Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure, says education assistance forms a critical part of the Group’s social responsibility to landowners.
He spoke to over 500 graduates at the April 2024 graduation ceremony in Suva in April, saying education was “a powerful tool in nation-building in Fiji”.
“Education is a powerful tool for change. It is a proven tool that empowers individuals socially, economically, politically, and culturally,” Ratu Rakuita said.
“Therefore, it is a powerful tool for nation-building, and it is the safest platform to develop our nation’s education pathways for bright and prosperous future,” he said.
“This graduation ceremony is a celebration of sacrifices and the unwavering belief in the power of education,” he told the graduates.
Bua Forest students received $93,768. 90 in education aid this year, making them the largest group of recipients of the company’s LCDF education assistance.
Source: Fiji Pine Limited
