Mere's Helping Hand

As some of you may know, I have had the great privilege of being able to help people in Kadavu, Fiji. On my first trip down there, I was able to meet a inspirational lady named Mere Osborne. 

Mere with the teachers from America

Mere is a lady who seemingly has nothing, just like most Fijians do. This has never stopped Mere. Her kindness and generosity have helped many Fijians lives prosper for generations to come. 

When Mere was younger, she had a rare opportunity to be educated in Australia. Mere capitalized on the chance of a lifetime and has told me it was the greatest thing she has ever done. This experience helped Mere decide what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

Education has become a priority to Mere’s purpose here on earth. She wants others in her community to have the same educational opportunities she had. Obviously, not every Fijian can go to Australia to be educated. So, Mere helped jump start programs to increase the education level in Fiji.

Navautu Secondary School Children and Teacher

This is when I met Mere. My parents and I had just flown to Fiji to go scuba diving. Upon arrival, my mom and I felt a need to help out this island. Mere was the manager of the resort we were staying at, and we asked her what we could do. Mere then said to educate the children, so they have hope for the future. Mere then asked me to help teach at the primary school.

 At this primary school, Mere was starting a reading recovery program to improve the children’s english. She asked if I would help run the program and bring learning materials from America to help them. Without any hesitation, I accepted the offer. 

With this program, Mere has helped bring english literacy up. The Drue School, where we teach, is now the highest scoring school in Kadavu, Fiji. 

English is now the main language used on the islands. It is required for children to attend primary school (elementary school). If the children want to go to secondary school (high school), they have to pay room and board. The Fijian government does not require students to attend secondary school. Most families cannot afford to have their kids go to secondary school. 

This was troublesome for my family and Mere, so we implemented a program for the top five students in two schools to get scholarships. This caused a lot of students to be more involved in their studies. Test scores have gone up 50% higher since this program was introduced. Children see hope because of Mere’s helping hand. 

Mere now helps run the learning center my family has built. She teaches cooking, sewing, computer literacy, and self sustaining tools. Women in the local villages help her make food and Fijian artifacts for tourists at the airport. With the profit made from this, Mere gives the money to these individuals who helped with it. This has helped teach the islanders to work and to see the rewards of working. 

Drue Primary School Students Singing

Mere has and will do anything in her power to see the success of her native country. She is proud of her heritage and wants to see her people thrive. Mere has touched many Fijians lives as well as my family. She will give the shirt off her back to help other succeed. She is what most people in this world need to be. Selfless, charitable, and full of life.