Bowl of friendship for Fiji

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

The carved wooden bowl presented to Fiji High Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca last Thursday by Lae Lord Mayor Koim Trilu Leahy represents friendship and hope for improved relationships.

Tikotikoca officiated at the graduation ceremony of over 200 trained mothers from the 23 wards of Lae Urban and Ahi local level governments who did life skills trainings by Fijian trainers under a community development programme initiated by Lae MP and Minister for Community Development, Youth and Religion Loujaya Kouza.

Leahy, the provincial minister for commerce and industries, representing the provincial government, presented K2000 towards supporting the training which he said was recognised by Governor Kelly Naru, who gave a cow and garden food for the event earlier.

“The bowl is a gift from the Morobe provincial assembly and indicates friendship and improved relationship between the people of Morobe and the Fijians,” Leahy said.

“I recognised this training and my support is to strengthen it to be an ongoing programme which will benefit the people of Lae. 

“Under my portfolio and under tourism, I will continue to support this programme because we will sustain the people’s livelihood and decrease poverty,” Leahy said.

He thanked ward councillors for their leadership and involvement and made a call to all husbands to allow their wives to be trained under the next stage of the programme. 

Those who graduated will now be responsible to teach the other mothers in their communities about life skills they can use.