First Officer Peni Sowane was accorded a special traditional welcome as he flew to his island home, Lakeba, with Captain Seru Taylor in the weekend.
Upon arrival into Lakeba Airstrip, his 81-year-old grandmother Amelia Sowane and Uncle Dr. Setareki Sowane were on hand with his grand aunts to perform the Cere to honor his first flight into Lakeba and to honor Captain Taylor for bringing him “home”.
Cere is an ancient Fijian ceremony to welcome and honor special guests or in this case to celebrate the arrival home of Peni as a commercial pilot.
He was dressed in Gatu or Kumi which is made in the chiefly island of Moce and the garland is known as the Sisi Vono a speciality of Lakeba which is commonly known also as Sisi ni Lakeba.
It was a very special day for Lakeba and hopefully an achievement that will inspire young Fijians who dream of a career in aviation to one day fly to their home island with Fiji Link.
