See Fiji

Blindness, visual impairment and how you can help

Fiji is an unbelievably varied and colourful South Pacific archipelago. It is made up of 330 islets, of which only 110 are populated, and covers 7,100 sqm. mileage ('18,300 km'). The majority of the local people live on the two biggest islets, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.

The Fijians who live outside these large islets are largely unaware of the need for health and visual aids. A visit to an ophthalmic hospital can mean taking the boat from one isle to another, which will cost about $20 per trip. Fiji's total nationwide resident base of 890,000 is slightly smaller than Austin, Texas.

But only seven eye doctors are serving all 110 populated isles. The SEE hospital is located on three different Fiji islands: This is Viti Levu, the biggest and most populated of all the Fijian isles ('Ba' in particular ), Vanua Levu, the second biggest of them, and Taveuni, a cigar-shaped Fijian cigars. Our first programme took place in Fiji in 2005.

Can I see Fiji - Hinemoana Baker

Hinemoana Baker wrote about'I Can See Fiji': Teresa (US/Kiribati/Fiji) on this record. Teresa is an accomplished and esteemed printer, academic and author, and someone whose work I had long before she came to me to create an audioversion of her work. What you see and listen to on this record began in a completely different way.

After a few introductory talks three years ago, Teresia wrote 12 selected poetry that she wanted to have soundtrack. Teresia said she wanted to use the projekt to get out of the word - to bring herself and her work into a new, maybe more abstraction. It' s not often that a manufacturer has so much flexibility in the sounddesign of an albums - I am very thankful that she gave me this possibility.

It' essentially a tale - Teresa's tale, so to speak - narrated with words and soundtrack.