Pesega Seniors had a chance to engage with two of their ex-students, Hairani Haini, 19 and Faith Laban, 20, through a Brown Girl Woke (B.G.W.) organisation initiative.

The pair aim to inspire and provide a safe space for the students to engage and share as they know first-hand the struggles that a senior student may be facing in school.

"We aim to send a message to the kids because we know that some of the kids, they have problems that they do not want to share, especially if it’s within their families," said Mr. Haini.

"That the kids will actually take it to heart and grow and bond and then we will be able to go out and branch out. What is taught in here may be applied somewhere in their lives with their friends, who is going through struggles, going through domestic violence and also leadership skills," added Faith.

The pair, along with about 10 others of their University of the South Pacific B.G.W. club, joined them at Pesega College gym to help deliver the programme.

"This workshop will help them grow a lot more so before they go out in the real world, and the reality because they’re still seniors, still young, they haven’t gone through a lot in life, so this workshop actually really helps them grow much more.

"To be more mature, to be innovative, to be active and to be open minded about things that are happening in our society, to have a safe space that they could feel comfortable in," said Ms. Laban.

"Sharing our own personal experience, inspire one another in order to overcome those issues that are helping in our families. Hopefully it will help them. 

"Not just them but their friends, their other relatives who are going the same thing and we’re just here to help. To speak life to people because speaking of hope to others doesn’t mean it’s going to help that person, it’s going to grow, grow in a cycle and branch out," she added.

The preparations took them a week, said Mr. Haini.

"When Doris came us about this initiative, it came to mind that I had to come back to my old school, me my brothers and my sisters. Asked them if they needed help with anything; it was easy, I just told the principal what we needed and then he just gave me everything, the gym and everything is prepared for," he said.

Mr. Haini and Ms. Laban thanked Doris for the chance to share with the current seniors of their former school, especially the principal for allowing them to make it happen.