Year 10 Student Wows Judges

Zeeshan Ali, 15, never imagined he would one day receive an award from a high-ranking Government official.

The Lautoka Muslim College Year 10 student yesterday received the second prize in the secondary school category for a competition to commemorate World GIS (Geographical Information System) Day 2023 at the Civic Centre in Suva.

He thanked the teachers and his family for their support.

“I dedicate this win to my parents and teachers because they always encourage me,” Zeeshan said.

He said ideas used on his project came from his teachers and some were researched on the internet through Google.

He completed the project in a fortnight.

“My friends helped me in painting, joining boards and setting up the concrete. The materials I used were from school, for example, old desks that were no longer in use. I took out the inside parts from these desks and assembled it to a box so I could make three layers which are to show how Fiji can move from our current state to a developed country.”

His project was named ‘The Future of Fiji.’

GIS Day

Meanwhile, landowners and commercial farmers still face the problem of land mapping, says the interim chief executive officer for the iTaukei Lands Trust Board (iTLTB) Solomoni Nata.

Land mapping involves the use of technology to create detailed maps so they could indicate changes in the use of the land over a period of time.

In his keynote address, Mr Nata admitted that even if GIS had done wonders for Fiji, iTLTB still had its share of setbacks.

It uses data that is attached to a unique location.

“There is still a long way to go and many more improvements needed from our Geospatial officers to thoroughly carry out their work,” Mr Nata said.

However, he said GIS was very beneficial for iTLTB.

Feedback: aralai.vosayaco@fijisun.com.fj