In Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, the first education for a young child is often learning traditional knowledge. And for humanitarian Simione Bula, preserving and protecting this valuable knowledge is vital to navigating future disasters in the region. 

Simione is a highly experienced disaster management and disability inclusion specialist, with nearly two decades of experience across organisations like the Pacific Disability Forum, Samoa’s Disaster Management Office and CBM Australia. 

In this episode, Simione shares his experiences growing up on a remote island of Fiji and learning the traditional warning signs of approaching disaster. He chats with Sally about the intimate connection between people, land and sea, how he transitioned from being a school teacher to becoming a humanitarian, and how the best place to start with disability inclusion is to put disability aside—and see people with disabilities as people first. 

You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here.

You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. 

You can read the transcript here.

Host: Sally Cunningham

Guest: Simione Bula

Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar