Vika Vataniyaragi Tadu Varuru, a 25-year-old dietitian at the Labasa Health Centre, is vying for the Miss Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North title, with the goal of positively impacting the community by promoting food security in Fiji for sustainable livelihoods.
Sponsored by Northern Civil Service, Varuru is one of nine contestants participating in this week’s festival at Subrail Park in Labasa. She hails from Nasinu Village in Navatu, Cakaudrove, and has maternal ties to Yavea, Vanuabalavu, Lau.
As a dietitian, she has experience in raising awareness through school and community health talks, but she acknowledges that speaking to a large audience from the stage will be a new experience for her. Varuru aims to highlight the critical issue of food security and its effects on local communities.
“I chose this topic because the majority of people in Fiji, particularly in the North, face food insecurity. Many individuals do not have access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food due to various financial constraints, lack of resources, price fluctuations, climate change impacting agriculture, and a heavy reliance on imported foods. This situation leads to a preference for quantity over quality,” she explained.
To address food security, Varuru advocates for sustainable agricultural practices, starting with home gardening and prioritizing locally sourced foods.
She comes from a family with a twin sister and a younger brother. Her mother is an educator at Wairiki Kindergarten in Labasa, while her father is employed at the Water Authority of Fiji.