Aid battle won

By Paul Pickering
FERNTREE Gully sporting samaritan Peter Cole has emerged from a two-week standoff with the Fijian Government to successfully distribute his cargo to the youth of the tiny island nation.
Mr Cole’s annual civilian mission to Fiji – dubbed The Spirit of Sharing – was almost thwarted by governmental red tape last month as Fijian officials demanded that he pay $37,000 tax on his container of sporting equipment.
The container was stocked with $300,000 worth of equipment to be donated to under-resourced Fijian primary schools.
Despite a media outcry about the government’s demands, Mr Cole and his friends Andrew Greenall and Stephen Longham were condemned to a fortnight of political lobbying from their hotel base in Suva.
“The excuse by the government was that nothing can be sent to their country to be donated without paying VAT tax – which is their equivalent of GST,” Mr Cole explained last week after returning home.
“It was so frustrating because there was no senior minister in the government who was willing to give the green light.
“No one in the government wants to make a decision as they’re worried about being sent back to their village and losing their job.”
Eventually, after constantly lobbying the government for the release of the container, Mr Cole’s persistence paid off.
The government reduced the tax to $1000 and the sum was contributed by The Rotary Club of North Suva.
Having received the go-ahead, Mr Cole embarked on an ambitious bid to visit 61 schools in just four days to distribute the equipment he had spent 14 months collecting from Australian schools, organisations and families.
The tight touring schedule meant that Mr Cole’s team had little time to play with the kids at each school but he said the smiling faces were just reward for their efforts.
“I’m so happy with the result of this year’s mission,” he said.
“After all the complications with clearing the container, the real benefits were felt when we arrived at each school.
“The Fijian people are just so wonderful and they appreciate what we’ve done.”
Mr Greenall, who made the trip this year for the first time, described the trip as “the most amazing experience of my life”.
“I’ve never felt so good and so helpful,” the Olinda builder explained.
“I can’t believe that a bunch of brand new and second-hand sporting equipment would be so needed anywhere in the world today.”
While Mr Cole could be excused for taking some time to reflect on his achievement, the tireless 25-year-old has already begun planning for the next year’s trip.
Donations of sporting equipment can be made by contacting Mr Cole on 0439 997 583 or at petercole20@hotmail.com.