Kiribati Mission Experience
Kiribati is an island nation located in the central tropical Pacific Ocean composed of 32 atolls, three of which are visited by the Monivae group. The unique opportunity gives students the chance to step outside their comfort zone and learn about other cultures and is an experience which they will carry for life.
Kiribati MSC Mission Experience 2011
On Sunday 3rd April, thirteen Monivae College students and 2 staff members, Mr Damian McCarthy & Mrs Kaylene Mailes, set off on the annual MSC Missionary Experience of a life time to Kiribati. Throughout the trip the group stopped over in Fiji, before heading off to Kiribati to experience the beautiful customs and traditions of the land, as well as giving the local students a taste of what life is like in Australia.
Monivae students worked alongside students from St Josephs in Abeyoung and our sister College, Chevalier College situated in Abemama. They assisted them in the classrooms with their English, and in turn, learnt about the local Kiribati culture and how these amazing people manage to live such an emotionally wealthy life in such a remote part of the World.
Very special friendships were formed between our Monivae students and the Kiribati students through culturally rich evenings filled with local song and dance, where our students dressed in traditional Kiribati costumes and performed in front of the College Community.
When the group returned to Monivae College on Wednesday 20th April, both the staff and students could not wipe the smile off their faces. This eye-opening trip proved to be a once in a lifetime experience that helped the Monivae students appreciate the wealth of not only our country, but our Monivae Community.
For a further insight into the Kiribati MSC Mission Experience 2011, you can follow the following link to view a collection of photos on the Monivae College Facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/media/set/?set=a.214266461926267.59600.154570864562494
Kiribati - 2010
Straddling the equator in the Gilbert Islands - A South Pacific odyssey
Two teachers, Mr Damian McCarthy and Miss Erin Lambert, two parents, Mr David Mcleod and his wife Mary Holmes, along with the followiung Year 11 students; Tyler Hay, Thomas Keightley, Jack Mcleod, Christa Mcleod, Kate Dreschler, Emily Jaeschke, Grace Chantler, Sarah Noske, Jami Giles, Jeremy Kealy and myself, all headed off for a spec i the South Pacific ocean at the end of first term. Besides Mr McCarthy, who's been running the trip for over fifteen years, it was the first time for all of us to visit Kiribati. The first thing we noticed was the humidity. After that it was the ridiculously small and not recently refurbished airport as we stepped off the air-conditioned plane and onto the hot tarmac. We were very excited but quite nervous, having no idea what to expect. We had only heard of Kiribati spoken of in high praise, and could only do so ourselves after just one day.
We visited 3 out of 36 atolls which make up Kiribati. Our first stop was Tarawa, the main island, where we spent a night. The next morning we woke up quite early to catch the renowned 18-seater Air-Kiribati plane which would take us to the Abaiang Atoll (fifteen minutes north west of Tarawa). As we flew over we got a good look at Kiribati we saw the picturesque islands; crystal clear blue water, white sand, luscious green landscape. It was an image you'd think only belongs on postcards. We landed on a coral runway, being greeted by all the Year 11 students of Saint Josephs College. This is an OLSH Catholic Secondary school, and an opportunity to have a crash course in Gilbertese culture and customs.
We had a welcoming feast where we were lucky enough to witness the amazing traditional dance and song, and hear the students sing their school song and National Anthem. The moment we heard them sing, the sheer volume of their voices - we got goose bumps. They sung with such pride it took our breath away.
The next day we were lucky enough to be assigned to the four different houses and participate in the College sports day. It was all about having fun - they had a session of so-called dizzy games as well. The entire day they had a thatched roof Maneaba hut which held huge speakers playing music, and endless students dancing non-stop, which some of us found quite the place to be.
We ended our last night by performing traditional dances we'd learnt with our houses. We were terrible - but the students were just so grateful we danced with them. Even in those few short days, we felt we had made close friends and were very sad to leave.
Eventually we took off, and 45 minutes later arrived at the Abemama atoll. This is where we would be spending the rest of our trip with our sister school of Chevalier College. We were assigned to different classes, Form 4 and 5, one Form 6 and one Form 7, in singles or pairs. We helped the students in the classroom, mainly with their English. We realised very soon how different the culture was on each island, but made friends everywhere we went. Tyler and Jack even gained a few fans through their dancing!
At Chevalier College, we were excited to be meeting up with Tessa Rowe, a year 12 2009 student. Tessa has attended the MSC Mission Experience to Kiribati the previous two years, and is currently living at Abemama for a year with her parents: Caroline & Jack. Tessa is living a very simple local life, and is doing a fantastic job over there helping with English. The Chevalier community are all very fond of her.
When it came time to leave on Easter Sunday, there were lots of tears shed. The unbelievable kindness of the people, and the friends we had made, would be with us for life. On the way to and from Kiribati, we visited a special school for children in Latouka, Fiji. We supplied them with some electrical appliances and recently sent over a collection of children's dvds, on behalf of Monivae college. On behalf of the Monivae community we presented Chevalier College with sporting equipment, a set of English books & a donation of $2000.
We are all so grateful for the opportunity we have been given to experience a new culture, and way of life. The Mission Experience Programs offered by Monivae College are a fantastic chance to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. We feel that Kiribati has positively affected us all individually, with many of us hope wishing to return again in the future.
Lisa Stanford (2011 College Captain)