janienne woodbridge

Janienne has over 30 years of experience in teaching in Melbourne schools, and has devoted the last 20 years towards educating students within school libraries. She has a Masters in Education (Teacher Librarianship), and has a passion for children’s literature and reading.  She recognises that access to an abundance of literature is a key factor to improving literacy. She is keen to help schools in Fiji because that nation has a special place in her heart. It was the birth place of her husband’s mother, and the nation where his grandfather (Ron Derrick) dedicated his life towards developing technical education.

Bereta Leqeti

Bereta Leqeti first heard about the work of Fiji Book Drive through a fellow educator in Kadavu. She had just moved to Natumua Village as the village kindergarten teacher. The kindergarten building was brand new but had very few resources. Fiji Book Drive was able to fill the kindergarten with beautiful resources and help many other kindergartens in Kadavu.

Bereta is a passionate educator who cares deeply about her students. She has travelled round to schools and kindergartens in Kadavu with the Fiji Book Drive team and has witnessed first hand the changes in the kindergartens.

Elinor Knappert

Elinor Knappert worked as a librarian at a primary school in Melbourne for 18 years and knows how important books are to children.  She believes that developing a love of reading is a stepping stone to becoming an enthusiastic learner; access to books is incredibly important for pleasure, for education, for access to information, and for becoming a curious learner.

Elinor has been involved with Fiji Book Drive for a number of years and has witnessed how the provision of books into schools and libraries has made an incredible and positive difference to the educational outcomes of Fijian children. Elinor and her husband visited some remote schools in Fiji in 2019, in particular, on the island of Kadavu.  They were greeted with much love, warmth and gratitude by the community, and the teachers and students clearly told us what a difference the donation of books via Fiji Book Drive had made to the educational outcomes of children in Fiji.

Elinor hopes that Fiji Book Drive continues to grow and prosper and that many more children in Fiji will continue to benefit from this wonderful organisation. 

INOKI Kaloumaira

Inoki is Fiji Book Drive’s Ambassador and iTaukei advisor. Inoki first heard about Fiji Book Drive through an article he read in one of the local newspapers showcasing the production of picture books written in the iTaukei language.

This really caught his attention as he is passionate about his culture, traditions and language as these are what defines a human being. Seeing as how certain languages are becoming endangered he believes that this is a good way of keeping it alive.

He holds a BA in Pacific Vernacular Language and Literature & Language and is currently pursuing his Postgraduate Diploma in Fijian Studies.
He knows the value of having a quality education and believes that Fiji Book Drive is greatly contributing towards Fiji's future leaders education through the work they do.

Madeline Kardachi

Madeline Kardachi is the Administrative Assistant at Fiji Book Drive. She is studying a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Marketing and Management at the University of Melbourne.

Madeline traveled with Fiona to Fiji where she attended a media release with the Grand Pacific Hotel and ended up being featured on FBC News. She also visited many schools in Taveuni that Fiji Book Drive has helped. She says it was an eye-opening yet amazing experience.

Madeline believes in the power of literacy to provide children with future opportunities.

Marie Hilda

Bula Vinaka My name is Marie Hilda and I am a Kindergarten teacher by profession.  I am a rotuman, born and raised in Suva, Fiji.

I have always had a passion for children in community and having had vast experience from teaching and working with children in poor communities to teaching children in the classroom, has encouraged me to set up a community library in Naluwai Village Naitasiri and this year I set up another library in another village Nasavu.  The main aim is to help children to be able to read with understanding, appreciate the love of books and finally to combat the non reader problems that is widely faced here in the Fiji schools.

I am grateful to the Fiji Book Drive, Fiona and her team for believing and having faith in the community project.

Vinakavakalevu.