The Fiji Catholic group poses amid a field of tapioca roots they just planted on land in Cook Islands given by Sr. Elizabeth Browne-Russell s sister for growing food for the community. They put sweet potatoes in on the other side of the plot. (Elizabeth Browne-Russell)
The Cook Islands is a small Pacific nation consisting of 15 islands scattered over 850,00 square miles of ocean. It has had self-governing political status since 1965 with special ties with New Zealand. There are 17,500 people, the majority of whom are Christians with Catholics numbering approximately 2,000 people.
There are no COVID-19 cases in the Cook Islands as of Dec. 9, but the nation has acted quickly and prepared as though we could be infected by the virus anytime. The global pandemic has had great economic, social, cultural, mental and environmental impact on us, with both positive and negative results. The change calls for a review in how our systems work, what we consider to be importan