Tufi prepares for weekend show

THE Tufi cultural show is set for this weekend – thanks to a sponsorship of K50,000 from the National Gaming Control Board.
The Tufi fjords is set to come alive on Dec 16-18 with more than 15 traditional singsing groups and an array of traditional activities, including pottery making, traditional tattooing and the making of the famous tapa cloth.
Established in 1969 by the colonial administration as a Christmas activity, the show ceased in 2005 until it was revived in 2010 by the Tufi Tourism Resource Owners Association.
Association chairman Hillarian Jivu thanked board chairman Qwentan Chollai, the board and management for the help, saying it was timely and the best Christmas present for the 70,000 people of Tufi.
He acknowledged the National Cultural Commission for its continuous support of K1,500 and bemobile for donating T-shirts.
Jivu said the association was formed to ensure benefits from tourism were directed to the local Tufi people who owned the beaches, oceans and reefs, forests, caves and cultures.
He said at present foreign tourism operators were benefiting at the expense of local people.
“I wish to inform all Tufi people, including those living and working in urban areas, to take ownership and support such initiatives to as it will go a long way in benefiting their villages and local communities,” Jivu said.