Today we visited the Makogai Island, part of Fiji's Lomaiviti Archipelago. The island is only 8.4 square kms (3.2 square miles) and has a maximum altitude of only 267 metres (876 feet). Not a big place, that's for sure.
From 1911 to 1969, this island was the home of a leper colony for not only Fiji but also many Pacific island groups, as well as Australia. It was staffed by Catholic nuns. During its operation it housed 4500 people, of which 1241 are buried on the island.
This island bore the brunt of the category 5 (most severe) Cyclone Winston, which tore through the islands in February of 2016. Given the leper colony buildings were in disrepair before the cyclone, it's not surprising that little now remains of the former colony. One of the passengers on our tour, now in her 80s, had lived in Fiji for many years. She was shocked by the before-and-after difference, caused by the cyclone.
Our tour guide was Tilly, a 63-year-old native of this island. Other than a 10-year gap where he left the island to work for the government on the mainland, he has lived in the village on the other side of the island since he was three years old. His father was in charge of the boat used by the leper colony.
Tilly is wearing the traditional clothing commonly worn by native Fijian men; a colourful bula shirt (bula means welcome in Fijian) and a sulu bottom, which is similar to a wraparound skirt.
You may also notice that he's barefoot. I asked how far he travelled to work and he told me it was about 75 minutes by land or 10 minutes by boat, and he did that journey over rough ground in barefoot. He lived on the other side of the island.
Throughout our cruise, each visit to an inhabited island started with a yaqona (kava) ceremony, to present a gift from the cruise passengers to the islanders, to give thanks for allowing us to visit. You'll see the kava - which is the root of a plant - being held by the Fijian in the blue bula shirt. The man in the white shirt is a cruise crew member, and Tilly is on the right. First the crew member spoke - or it may have been chanting - and then handed the gift to the man in blue. There was more speaking/chanting, with all of the men having solemn faces throughout.
This is kava root, although it's dressed more decoratively in this photo. In the earlier photo here, it's wrapped in regular newspaper. I'll explain the traditional use of the kava root in my next post.
These are the first buildings we saw as we came off the ship. They are the most intact of anything left of the leper colony. Wondering what the white marks are in the foreground of the photo?
They are giant clam shells. Giant clams can be found in the waters surrounding this island. More about that later.
After the kava ceremony, we walked with Tilly, to the left of those buildings, towards the remains of the other buildings of the leper colony.
Many buildings had been totally destroyed. We learned about the jail cells, where men were held who went against the rules of the colony. Men and women were to remain separated, to avoid women getting pregnant and increasing the leper community. If a woman did get pregnant, the man was jailed.
Only the end walls of the cinema remained. This was where the projector was housed. Again, women sat on one side of the cinema and men sat on the other.
This is all that remains of the screen.
We walked a short distance to the cemetery. Much of the cemetery was somewhat neglected and had become overgrown over the years. Most of what is visible was damaged by the cyclone. This location is soon expected to be deemed a UNESCO heritage site because of its important historical significance. This will bring much-needed funding to repair and restore the cemetery.
Of the many people buried at the colony, only dignitaries received a headstone.
This is the gravesite of Mother Marie Agnes, who ran the facility for 34 years and retired at the age of 80. Also buried in this area is Maria Filomena, a sister who contracted leprosy but continued on working for another 30 years after diagnosis. In that era, researchers debunked the common notion of the day that leprosy was contracted, instead insisting it was a genetic mutation that was passed through generations. The current theory appears to contradict that theory.
Here Tilley stands next to the grave of the priest who was resident at the colony.
An effective treatment for leprosy was introduced in 1948, allowing for the colony to be phased out by 1969.
Today this island is owned by the Fijian government. In 1969, it was declared a Marine Protected Reserve, to protect the giant clams and turtle nursery. Unfortunately Cyclone Winston severely damaged the turtle nursery.
Giant clams are being farmed on the island to repopulate the reefs as they are becoming increasingly scarce.
This is an overhead photo of such a clam, which measured about 15" (38 cm) in length. The colours were impressive.
After lunch on the ship, we returned to the island. We were entertained by children from Tilley's village. With about 50 people from the village of 75 residents there, Tilley jested that the village was just about empty! The children danced and sang for us, both their traditional and modern songs and dances.
Some of us snorkelled directly off the beach after the show and were able to see the beautiful giant clams living close to shore.
A full but interesting day, learning more about the culture of the Fijians.
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