New Zealand "Books for Fiji" - Mormon Helping Hands Project

When we arrived in New Zealand back in August we noted that one of the projects being worked on by the members was called "Books for Fiji".  We didn't think too much of it just wondering what it really was.  Then two weeks later we found out that it was a pretty big to do!  Sister Eileen Mueller from our ward was the local Public Affairs organizer.

While visiting the Fijian "Acting Head of Mission" Mere Tora, Eileen and Pres. Harvey (our Stake President) asked Mere if there was anything the church could do to help Fiji.  Mere immediately responded that the youth of Fiji didn't have very much to read and that if books could be provided they could be placed in rural areas and given to the kids. 

The project grew from there and Eileen organized three Stakes of the church along with community religious and political leaders who supported the efforts.  Ann and I became involved when Eileen asked us to take some photos for the newspapers in and around Wellington.  We were called away from our work at the archives on a number of occasions as well as spending a day (8am to 8pm) helping sort the books.  During these photo shoots we became friends with:

Wellington Mayor - Celia Wade-Brown

Porirua Mayor - Nick Leggett

Wellington City Councillor - Paul Eagle

New Zealand Labor Party Leader - Annette King

Fijian "Acting Head of Mission" - (we'd call her the ambassador) - Mere Tora

Fijian "Second Secretary" (we'd call him the assistant ambassador) - Niraj Mudaliar

It ended up being quite the deal with over 45,000 books being collected, sorted, boxed and sent to Fiji.  The books will arrive late November and the story will conclude with the books being handed out to the children by "Mormon Helping Hands" in rural areas of Fiji.  This event has now been written up on the LDS website at this link:

http://newsroom.lds.org/article/new-zealanders-respond-childrens-needs-fiji

Here's a collection of the photo's we took, some were used in local newspapers...

 Mayor Celia Wade-Brown (red hair) with organizer Eileen Mueller and Fijian Second Secretary Niraj Mudaliar.

 Ann and I with the Celia Wade-Brown and Eileen and Mia (Eileen's daughter)

  

 Niraj, Porirua Mayor Nick Leggett and Eileen

Labor party leader Annette King (she would be similar to the U.S. Senate Majority Leader) and Eileen.  Annette was most gracious!  She's a grandmother and has spend most of her life in the service of New Zealand.  Quite the woman and extremely nice!

 

Ann and I with Annette King

Here are various photos of the books being sorted.

Of course what would and LDS event be without food?

On Wednesday, October 19th, the Fijian "Acting Head of Mission" Mere (pronounced Mary) Tora hosted a reception at the Fijian Consulate for community leaders, local Fijian residents and church leaders to express thanks on behalf of Fiji to the Church for their involvement.

Mere Tora and President Harvey tell all the importance of books in the growing up of children.  Both told stories of their youth and how neither really had access to any books at all until their early teens.

Various photos of the group chatting one with another and Eileen giving a photo review of the project.