The Acting Deputy Supervisor of Elections;
The Acting Manager Stakeholder Engagement and Awareness; and
Members of my FEO family.
Ara na Yadra, and a Victorious Morning to you all.
I warmly welcome you to this Training of Trainers for our YES Outreach Nationwide Awareness Drive Phase II. As we move closer to the upcoming General Election, the FEO is ready, and our focus now is ensuring that this readiness is carried into every community we serve.
That is where each of you comes in.
You are not here simply as participants. You are here as trainers, communicators and leaders.
What you learn here must be taken back to the divisions and passed on with confidence, consistency and purpose to the teams who will engage directly with voters across Fiji.
Our awareness work is not simply about telling people how to vote.
It is about helping Fijians understand why their vote matters, why they should be prepared to vote, and how they can participate confidently when the time comes.
That is the purpose behind Every Vote has a Story.
Every voter has a different story. Different circumstances. Different reasons for participating. But ultimately, every voter should understand that their vote gives them a voice in choosing the representatives who will make decisions that affect their lives, their families and their communities.
That is the message we must carry across the country.
So, during this training, learn the material well, but more importantly, learn how to connect with people.
Ask questions. Participate. Practise the conversations. Understand the stories and the different methods of voting so that when our teams enter communities, they are not simply presenting information, they are creating meaningful conversations with voters.
Whether we are speaking to a first-time voter, a farmer, a market vendor, a university student, a voter in a maritime community or a Fijian living overseas, our message must be clear, accurate, impartial and engaging.
The FEO is ready. Now we must take that readiness to our voters.
We know our responsibility.
We know our message.
Now, we must deliver it.
I thank you for your commitment and for the leadership you will provide to your teams.
With that, I officially declare the Training of Trainers for Voter Awareness open.
Vinaka Vakalevu.
