Outrigger guests pay to mix cement, lay bricks and paint
CORAL COAST, FIJI – Two new classrooms will greet students in 2018 at the Conua Primary School in Fiji’s Sigatoka Valley thanks to a community tourism project by Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort.
Over the last 12 months, more than 800 guests holidaying at Outrigger’s Coral Coast resort assisted in building the classrooms, taking time out from their vacation to lend a helping hand.
Officially opened by the Attorney General and Minister for the economy, the Honourable Aiyaz Sayed-Kaiyum on November 24th, the total cost of the project was FJD$100,000 (US$48,000) with FJD$20,000 (US$9,600) raised by the Conua Old Boys Association going towards construction costs.
Through the resort’s direct-action community tourism projects, guests were able to visit the school on a Tuesday or Thursday as part of a paid excursion which included return transportation to the school, lunch and a visit to the culturally significant Tavuni Hill Fort. Guests worked on the project under the direction of the resort’s engineering team doing whatever was required at the time – mixing cement, laying bricks or painting, for example.
Guests generously contributed FJD$100 (US$48) for adults and FJD$60 (US$28) for children, of which approximately 30% was retained to cover expenses and 70% went into a building fund for purchase of materials.
Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort General Manager Peter Hopgood said that seven years ago when the resort first approached Conua School with a community tourism proposal, it had 55 students.
Since then, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort has contributed a new library, a computer lab, a large meeting bure (hut) and a new kindergarten. With the opening of these new classrooms, the school will have an enrolment of 150 students with another 30 children attending kindergarten.
“We feel that we are an integral part of this community, and speaking personally, it has been so very rewarding to watch these children grow and develop,” Mr. Hopgood said.
The resort has already begun planning its next community tourism project for the Conua School, the construction of two new teachers’ living quarters which will commence before the end of the year.
In addition to these school-based community outreach projects, Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort recently supported a team of eye specialists from the United States who undertook over 800 consultations and restored sight to over 80 local residents of the province of Nadroga.
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ABOUT OUTRIGGER HOTELS AND RESORTS
Outrigger Hotels and Resorts is a privately held leisure lodging, retail and hospitality company with corporate offices in Hawaii and operating globally in the Asia-Pacific, Oceania and Indian Ocean regions. From its Outrigger Signature Experiences to its Outrigger DISCOVERY loyalty program, the values-based company invites guests to escape ordinary with exceptional hospitality and authentic cultural experiences, incorporating local traditions and customs at each of its properties worldwide. Founded in 1947, Outrigger has grown into a highly successful, multi-branded portfolio of hotels, condominiums and vacation resort properties, including Outrigger® Resorts, OHANA Hotels by Outrigger®, Hawaii Vacation Condos by Outrigger®, Embassy Suites®, Holiday Inn®, Best Western®, Wyndham Vacation Ownership® and Hilton Grand VacationsTM. Outrigger currently operates and/or has under development 37 properties with approximately 6,500 rooms located in Hawaii (Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Hawaii Island); Guam; Fiji; Thailand; Mauritius; and the Maldives. Find out; find Outrigger at: www.outrigger.com or visit @OutriggerResorts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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Ken Scott
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