Since 2015, we have been partnering with the Bible Society of the South Pacific to support a creative Bible-based programme encouraging community living through growing sandalwood trees.
The MagiMagi programme is now growing strongly and is starting to change lives in the Pacific.
Now 25-30 year olds are starting to read the Bible and villagers are getting excited about the potential economic success of their sought after sandalwood trees. In addition, a village life-style based on cooperation is starting to grow. This was the way of the past.
This is all thanks to a Bible Society South Pacific (BSSP) project called MagiMagi based on biblical mentorship. The project is running in the four villages of Dravo, Maumi, Naila and Nsisogovau which together has a population of more than 800 people. Denominational churches are coming together in unity to get behind the project.
Through MagiMagi, people have received Bibles and study books in Fijian. Now they are reading them and also joining small groups to receive Bible study guidance and encouragement. In other MagiMagi villages, work is being done on translations of comics and scripture resources into local dialects. This means many people are returning to their own mother tongue.
However the big draw card for MagiMagi is the economic benefit. Fifty two sandalwood trees planted in Dravo village will be worth a staggering FJ$1.5m (NZ$1m) when harvested in the future, 10-15 years from now.
In addition, people are also being trained in producing shorter-term food crops such as taro, cassava, coconuts and cabbages. Previously individual growers were being played off against each other by buyers. Now they are selling cooperatively and getting better returns.
Model farmers – Maumi Village
This is how it works. Model farmers are mature Christians who are able to mentor and disciple others. There are 15 model farmers in Maumi trained in agricultural techniques who take other farmers under their wing. Some of the other farmers are not interested in Christian activity at first but want to learn how to make a living off their land.
One participant is Makiti, who had some land that many years ago was used to grow rice until the value of this crop plummeted. Now through MagiMagi, he has been taught how to grow watermelons, which sell for about FJ$15 each.
At first, Makiti was solely interested in learning to make a living off the land. But then he changed and became curious and Christian living and the Bible. He even attended an outreach and became a Christian.
The Bible truly is bringing the life to Fiji.
You can be involved in this creative and life-giving project in Fiji by making a donation. If you’d like to contribute, you can make an online donation using our secure form.
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More than 120 Good News Bibles were gifted to schools around the island who are all in the process of rebuilding following the tropical storm. Principals and teachers were excited about the Bibles, which they were without, explained Ledua from BSSP.
In 2017, Bible Societies worldwide assisted in the completion of Scripture translations in 49 languages spoken by more than 580 million people.
