Switching on the Iights

Uelingatoni Tevita Vaea (known as 'T' to his friends), proved to be a mine of information for The Courier, when we visited the Vava'u island group in northern Tonga recently. 'T' is a Tongan engineer who returned to his native land from Australia to work as assistant project manager in the Vava'u Development Unit. His help was particularly useful during the highlight of our visit - a traditional celebratory feast laid on by the villagers of Nuapapu. This is one of Vava'u's inhabited outer islands and the celebration was staged to mark the installation of solar powered lighting, courtesy of Lomé Convention funds.

Nuapapu is one of a number of outlying villages to receive solar installations under the Vava'u Development Programme. In all, some 350 homes have been wired up. Units attached to individual buildings collect the power and convert it into electricity which is stored in a battery. When night falls, the lights can then be switched on. Although the bulk of the installation costs are covered by the project, each participating household is required to pay a lump sum to have a unit fitted. They are also contracted to pay a modest amount each month towards maintenance of the system.

It may all seem rather prosaic to those of us accustomed to electrical power at the flick of a switch, but for the people of the villages in the Vava'u group, the project is little short of revolutionary. For centuries, their daily rhythm has been governed largely by the rising and setting of the sun. The only 'artificial' light available after darkness came from fuel-burning (and more recently, battery) torches or lamps - enough perhaps to reveal a path or highlight the position of an object, but certainly not to read or do intricate work with one's hands.

The formal 'switching on' ceremony was performed by the Dutch Ambassador, Mr van Thessen and Jonathan Rodwell, who is the European Commission's resident advisor in Tonga.

This was preceded by a courtesy visit to the village chief and the above-mentioned feast, which gave the European visitors an authentic and memorable taste of traditional Tongan hospitality.

The food was brought from all quarters of the village on long rectangular trays covered with leaves. Each was laden with food.

The fare was predominantly local: the famous roast pigs featured prominently along with fish, chicken, bananas, coconuts and a variety of root and tuber vegetables.

There were also some 'imported' items: the corned beef which is so popular here, some packets of crisps to add colour to the guest 'table' and boiled sweets woven into garlands.

The trays were laid end to end, stretching perhaps 20 metres and woven mats were placed all around. Having received our garlands of flowers, we were invited to sit down.

The feast was interspersed by various speeches and 'T' helped out with a translation and explanation of the proceedings. We began with a prayer in Tongan, delivered by the local minister. This was followed by a speech of welcome and thanks by the matapule (spokesman) of the village chief.

High ranking people in Tonga always have a matapule to speak on their behalf on such occasions. Ambassador van Thessen and Mr Rodwell then replied on behalf of the guests, (in English, with consecutive translation provided).

They expressed thanks to the people of Nuapapu for their hospitality and wished them success with their new electric lighting. There was then a short discourse by the District Officer followed by a closing prayer.

References to all this speechmaking could leave a false impression that this was a formal and stilted affair.

In fact the reverse was very much the case: the mood was relaxed throughout and there is no doubt that the villagers know how to enjoy themselves. Music was supplied by a group of men playing a variety of instruments and the women joined in the festivities with what appeared to be spontaneous bursts of dancing.

There were also special solo dances performed by two young ladies whose bodies had been smeared with coconut oil.

As tradition dictates, once their performances (involving highly expressive hand and finger movements) were complete, the audience expressed their appreciation by slapping banknotes on the oily exposed surfaces of the dancers' bodies.

The light was fading as the feast ended and we moved to the brief 'lighting up' ceremony, carried out to the accompaniment of applause.

The guests (including the staff of the Vava'u Development Unit who have guided the project through its various stages) then took their leave of this hospitable community and set off by boat on the return journey to Neiafu. As the vessel drew away from the shore, we were able to look up and see, for the first time, the twinkling lights of Nuapapu.