On the ground Report
Field Trip to Lau
by: Michaela Wilczek of Berlin, Germany, WWF SPPO Intern
The trip to Kabara was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. During the first weeks of my internship in the WWF South Pacific Programme I was able to join a field trip to the Lau Group, Kabara. Even only a few Fijians from WWF Office were able to visit this wonderful island. After a two day trip on a boat we arrived. The island seems like paradise: white sand, clear water and villages surrounded by palm trees. The beauty of the nature is only topped by the friendliness of the people. Staying for one week I got a very detailed impression of what life means for the people living on this island. Life is simple but in a kind of balance.
The abstract theory of global warming with all its consequences like temperature rising and raising of the sea level directly affects the people of this island and disturbs this balance. Floods and erosion threaten the houses of the families. The old church has been destroyed by a flood. One fisher woman told me that fish are decreasing and it takes more time to get enough food to feed the family.
Another problem in Kabara is the access to drinking water. The water reserves depend on the rainfall, which is very rare in the dry months. The second day of our stay we were lucky: rain filled the tanks of all houses and the higher consumption of water was covered. Nevertheless I tried not to squander water. That means for example only one shower a day with a bucket of cold fresh water.
It was very impressive to meet the ‘Climate Witness’ Penina Moce in her village Udu. She has been to conferences in Japan and Argentina to tell about the changes caused by Global warming on her island. Besides her important role in this climate change discussion she does all normal village activities like fishing, washing clothes and cooking. We shared the experience of visiting another country far away from home. And in our conversations, we shared the feeling that you take your own culture in the heart while being open minded about other cultures.
Naikeleyaga Village School Visit
To get to know more about the peoples’ experiences about climate change I visited the Naikeleyaga Village School. Within the scope of the Climate Witness project I talked with the children about climate change and asked some children to interview their grandparents or older members of the family about their stories concerning the impacts of Climate change. I really appreciated the work with the children. They are the future of Kabara and should be aware of the meaning of climate change. Also the stories of the older inhabitants are important for reporting the impacts of climate change. Thus, the community of Kabara becomes a voice in the global climate change discussion, which should be heard by the countries that mainly cause the global warming.
- Michaela Wilczek