Fiji: The old folks home

This building recreates what Fijians refer to as the Vale Niqase, or Old Folks Home. It is not a place for the old and infirm, rather it is a classroom of sorts where love and knowledge are shared. Fijians highly respect their elders and honor their lifetimes of experience, skill and knowledge. Parents take their children to the grandparents each day before going to work. Children and grandchildren learn to fish, carve, and hunt from their grandparents. They also learn Fijian language skills and genealogical background. A Fijian’s ancestry is so important that a young Fijian male is expected to recite his lineage from memory by the time he is 18.

Each family compound has its own separate Vale Niquse, used specifically by that family and dedicated to the raising and educating of grandchildren. Inside the structure are all the tools to teach children and grandchildren the valuable lessons of life. Our Fijian Villagers would love to share more about this wonderful tradition.