Vika Vataniyaragi Tadu Varuru, a 25-year-old dietitian from the Labasa Health Centre, is vying for the title of Miss Vodafone Festival of the Friendly North with the goal of promoting food security in Fiji for a sustainable future. Sponsored by Northern Civil Service, she is one of nine contestants participating in this week’s festival at Subrail Park in Labasa.
Originally from Nasinu Village in Navatu, Cakaudrove, with maternal ties to Yavea, Vanuabalavu in Lau, Varuru expressed her excitement about the competition. “I’ve been visiting schools and communities to conduct health awareness programs, but addressing thousands of people on stage will be a completely new experience,” she stated.
Her campaign focuses on the importance of food security, particularly highlighting the challenges faced by many in Fiji, especially in the northern regions, where access to safe and nutritious food remains limited due to various factors such as financial constraints, lack of resources, fluctuating market prices, and climate change impacts on agriculture.
Varuru emphasized the need for sustainable agricultural practices, encouraging the establishment of backyard gardens and the consumption of locally produced foods. “To be food secure, we need to practice sustainable agriculture, starting at home,” she remarked.
Varuru has a twin sister and a younger brother. Her mother teaches at Wairiki Kindergarten in Labasa, while her father is employed at the Water Authority of Fiji.