Resilience in Fijian communities is being strengthened through traditional knowledge, lived experiences, and cultural practices that continue to sustain families in times of hardship.

This was highlighted by Fiji National University’s Director of Academic Affairs, Sereima Baleisomi, who shared powerful stories collected from villages across the country.

“The stories from the communities, the lived experiences of our people, these are only some of the stories that we thought would capture the resilience of our people in the communities.”

She recounted the example of women in Nabukaluka, in the Province of Naitasiri who were able to adapt when a river ban threatened their food supply. Instead, they turned to their deep knowledge of other streams to provide for their families and teach younger generations.

In Navala Village in the province of Ba, Baleisomi said the strength of traditional architecture was evident in the aftermath of Cyclone Winston, when bure structures survived with minimal damage compared to modern corrugated iron houses. The community rebuilt in the spirit of solidarity, or solesolevaki.

“So, in helping to fix the fetch, the people, the men and women of Navala, worked together in the spirit of solesolevaki. So, it’s in the spirit of solesolevaki that lies the resilience.”

She also highlighted the wisdom of elders, including a 70-year-old woman from Navala who linked sustainability to traditional practices. She shared that in the past, it was customary during harvest season to present the ‘i sevu’, a first offering of produce, to the chiefs or the elders of the Vanua. However, this practice is fading among the younger generation, who are more focused on taking their harvest directly to the market for sales.

“So, that I thought I’d like to share because of the practice of sevu, the component of resilience, the ecological relationality and ecological reciprocity, the elements of resilience that contribute to ‘bula sautu’ and the ‘sautu ni Vanua’.

Baleisomi said these stories show that for communities, resilience is not a concept; it is simply how they live their lives every day.

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