Turning pages of hope: Fiona Luth's Fiji Book Drive
On a fateful trip to Fiji, former teacher Fiona Luth (1992) saw an opportunity to make a difference. More than a decade on, her charity Fiji Book Drive has delivered almost 300,000 books to schools in Fiji.
Sunday 13 March 2022 • 5 minute read
An English teacher by profession, Fiona Luth has experienced first hand the power of literacy and having access to ideas, stories and information. On a trip to Fiji’s fourth largest island, Kadavu, Fiona was struck by the lack of books in local schools. She returned to Australia ready to address this issue and founded Fiji Book Drive in 2012.
Fiona has built the charity from the ground up over the last 11 years, including handling freight companies, sourcing books, hiring local staff, and managing thousands of Australian volunteers. As of today, Fiji Book Drive has been responsible for nearly 300,000 books sent to the island nation of one million people.
Fiona has built the charity from the ground up over the last 11 years, including handling freight companies, sourcing books, hiring local staff, and managing thousands of Australian volunteers. As of today, Fiji Book Drive has been responsible for nearly 300,000 books sent to the island nation of one million people.
“It’s definitely hard and there are constant challenges. But the work we’re doing in Fiji, teachers are now starting to say that it’s nation building, and I truly believe that to be the case,” says Fiona.
Current Ormond students and staff recently had the chance to contribute to this worthy cause in a Fiji Book Drive Volunteering Day midyear, which was held at the warehouse of the charity’s partner Hinkler Publishers. In one day, 23 Ormond staff and students joined the effort to pack a staggering 12,000 books. This included Fiona’s daughter and current Ormondian Holly Luth who is the most recent of her family to attend the College.
Fiona shared a significant moment from the day for herself and the students, “One of our volunteers, Mijica, is from Papua New Guinea and took the overnight bus down from Canberra to be part of this recent drive! She packed books all day, and afterwards took the overnight bus back home. She did the same thing for an event we hosted earlier this year.”
“At one point in the day, she gave a talk to the Ormond group about the shortage of books in many parts of the Pacific and how the grew up reading mostly Ghost Busters because there was just nothing else. I think her story really hit home to everyone how important this work is.”
Current Ormond students and staff recently had the chance to contribute to this worthy cause in a Fiji Book Drive Volunteering Day midyear, which was held at the warehouse of the charity’s partner Hinkler Publishers. In one day, 23 Ormond staff and students joined the effort to pack a staggering 12,000 books. This included Fiona’s daughter and current Ormondian Holly Luth who is the most recent of her family to attend the College.
Fiona shared a significant moment from the day for herself and the students, “One of our volunteers, Mijica, is from Papua New Guinea and took the overnight bus down from Canberra to be part of this recent drive! She packed books all day, and afterwards took the overnight bus back home. She did the same thing for an event we hosted earlier this year.”
“At one point in the day, she gave a talk to the Ormond group about the shortage of books in many parts of the Pacific and how the grew up reading mostly Ghost Busters because there was just nothing else. I think her story really hit home to everyone how important this work is.”
Since the volunteering day, three Ormond students have applied to work with Fiji Book Drive and support the charity. To Fiona, this is the “social justice muscle” of Ormondians coming out strongly, which she says has been a fact of the College since she was a student.
“I’ve always loved how well rounded and socially engaged Ormond students are. Having them contribute to the charity, it was stratospherically awesome.”
The Luth family have strong ties to Ormond. Fiona’s husband Daniel (1993), her father William (1969), her father-in-law Colin (1959), and her brother-in-law Anthony (1986) are all Ormondians.
“I’ve always loved how well rounded and socially engaged Ormond students are. Having them contribute to the charity, it was stratospherically awesome.”
The Luth family have strong ties to Ormond. Fiona’s husband Daniel (1993), her father William (1969), her father-in-law Colin (1959), and her brother-in-law Anthony (1986) are all Ormondians.