I have just returned from my first visit to Kiribati. Those who have lived or visited there will know it’s a beautiful place with welcoming people, though, as we have undoubtedly heard, it faces major challenges caused by climate change. Of that, there is no doubt.
Br Peter Carroll, FMS at St Louis High School, Kiribati.
I asked one of our lay Marists what the local people think about their nation’s future. She told me some people, mostly older folk, deny there is any real problem; others, particularly the young people, are very conscious of the problems and are taking action, by either becoming activists in Kiribati or leaving to start a life elsewhere. Then there is the third category, who realise the problems and remain, hoping and working for solutions and a
future.
It was encouraging to learn of the support being given Kiribati by foreign organisations and nations, notably the United Nations, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand. Its near neighbours are funding desalination and solar projects.
At the Marcellin Pre-School, there is solar desalination that provides power and fresh water. Roads, sea walls and schools are other favoured projects. We are most fortunate to have a beautiful property, La Valla, at Bikenibeu. The early NZ Brothers are to be commended on their foresight in acquiring such a large tract of land. This is where the Brothers currently reside: Tainga Moanriba, Amberoti Nantei and Teweia Orea (an Aspirant). Amberoti works at St Louis’ and takes the bus provided by the Government for teachers only, each morning.
Br Peter, Br Tainga and Br Amberoti.
Teweia has been undertaking study at Kiribati Technical Institute, and Tainga is the Community Leader, Chief Commissioner for St Louis and Formator for Teweia.
While there, I had the opportunity to visit St Louis, the school entrusted to the Brothers in 1984, which they then grew into a significant senior school from Forms 1 to 7. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Brothers’ presence and governance. The Principal, Serafina, and Deputy Principal, Tangaroa – a former Brother and current Chair of the Marist
Stewardship Group – gave me considerable time, explaining the history of the school, its current situation and needs. They also arranged a delightful welcome assembly, with traditional dance, singing and addresses. The school has a very welcoming way, and the Marist characteristics were on display, in word and deed!
Happy faces at St Louis!
AMS is currently helping to fund the construction of an Administration Building which will not only provide more contemporary spaces but also permit the reorganisation, over
time, of the site.
Br Tainga in front of the administrative building (under construction).
There is an active group of Lay Marists in Kiribati, formed over many years. Some of these have been elected to be the members of the Stewardship Group which leads Marist life, promotes Marist mission and helps to support and oversee Marist ministries. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with them for one of their regular meetings. Not surprisingly, one of their priorities is ecological sustainability, and they have implemented a project entitled, Clean Green and Blue. You can tell from the name its focus.
Welcome ceremony at St Louis.
This coming weekend, the new Bishop of Kiribati - Nauru will be ordained. Although my schedule wasn’t able to be reorganised to attend, I did meet with him socially to offer our congratulations and assurance of support and prayers. Apparently, they are expecting 5,000 at the Ordination which will be held at the Sports Stadium. Tainga is a member of the organising committee, and Amberoti, Teweia and Lay Marists will be there representing us.
Grave of Br Tibwan, the first eKiribati to die as a Marist Brother.
Sincere gratitude to Tainga for organising my itinerary, to the community for their warm welcome, and to the local Lay Marists for their continuing support and encouragement.
About Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, in the central Pacific Ocean. It comprises North Tarawa, which has much in common with other, more remote islands of the Gilberts group; and South Tarawa, which is home to half of the country’s total population of 117,000. Overpopulation is a problem there.
Tarawa consists of a lagoon fringed by a V-shaped reef 35km long and made up of more than 30 islets. The atoll is a commercial and educational centre with port facilities on the South Tarawa islets of Betio, Bairiki, and Bikenibeu; an airport on Bonriki; and national government headquarters on Bairiki. Although naturally abundant in fish and shellfish of all kinds, marine resources are being strained by the large and growing population. Drought is frequent, but in normal years rainfall is sufficient to maintain breadfruit, papaya and banana trees as well as coconut and pandanus.
North Tarawa consists of a string of islets, with the most northern islet being Buariki. The islets are separated in places by wide channels that are best crossed at low tide. On South Tarawa, the construction of causeways has now created a single strip of land from Betio in the West to Buota in the Northeast.
In Kiribati mythology, Tarawa was the earth when the land, ocean and sky had not been cleaved yet by Nareau the spider. Thus, after calling the sky ‘karawa’ and the ocean ‘marawa’, he called the piece of rock that ‘Riiki’ (another god that Nareau found) had stood upon when he lifted up the sky as, ‘Tarawa’. Nareau then created the rest of the islands in Kiribati and also Samoa.
People arrived on these islands thousands of years ago, and there have been migrations to and from Kiribati since antiquity. Evidence from a range of sources, including carbon dating and DNA analyses, confirms that the exploration of the Pacific included settlement of the Gilbert Islands by around 200BC. The people of Kiribati are still excellent seafarers, capable of making ocean crossings in locally-made vessels using traditional navigation techniques.
Thomas Gilbert, captain of the East India Company vessel, Charlotte, was the first European to describe Tarawa, arriving on 20 June 1788. He named it Matthew Island, after the owner of his ship, the Charlotte. He named the lagoon, Charlotte Bay. Gilbert’s 1788 sketches survive.
During World War II, Tarawa was occupied by the Japanese, and beginning on 20 November 1943, it was the scene of the bloody Battle of Tarawa. On that day, United States Marines landed on Tarawa and suffered heavy losses from Japanese soldiers occupying entrenched positions on the atoll. The Marines secured the island after 76 hours of intense fighting with around 6,000 dead in total from both sides.
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