Our Story

When you think about Fiji, the first thing that comes to mind is a paradise on earth.Lush tropical vegetation, endless white sand beaches and lagoons, and multiple islands each with its own unique ecosystem that make Fiji a prime tourist destination.

So it was a paradise of the Pacific, but then we made some new friends among locals: kids like ourselves, and we realized we have so much in common! We talked for hours and grew closer. We exchanged letters and holiday greetings. Eventually it was hard not to notice that even though they live in one of the most beautiful places on earth they face challenges we had no idea even existed!

While we had a back to school shopping spree buying everything new for the school year, our penpals from Fiji were excited to reuse school supplies such as backpacks, pens, notebooks, pencils, calculators and Chromebooks passed down from their older siblings and friends. They were lucky to get any hand-me-down supplies in order to start the new school year! Even if you have money, buying new supplies is not easy as the country is scattered on so many remote islands and transportation could be challenging especially during rough seas. Many children end up starting the school year with very scant supplies, many more have to board in schools only visiting their families on a weekend because many households cannot afford daily boat school transportation due to high fuel cost.

That was a revelation that hadn’t crossed our minds before. The difference between our worlds was so obvious, so disproportionately unfair, and… so fixable! Something needed to be done.