Arieta Vakasukawaqa
9 January, 2021, 6:07 pm
A young kid assisting an adult sell food at Lami Town on Friday, January 08, 2021. Picture: JONACANI LALAKOBAU
With school just nine days away, children as young as 11 years old brave the night selling pastries and food packs in every nook and corner of Lami area to help their parents buy stationery.
Lami District Council of Social Services president Asaeli Naisoro said most of those children were from the 45 informal settlements in Lami.
For back to school preparations, he said a woman at an informal settlement in Lami had sleepless nights because she only managed to save $50 for her three children.
19,000 families to receive $100 a month for next 4 months - Ali
19,000 families to receive $100 a month for next 4 months - Ali
Save the Children Fiji’s Chief Executive Officer, Shairana Ali.
More than 19,000 families most-affected by the impacts of COVID-19 will receive $100 a month over the next four months through digital cash transfers.
This is being done through the Fiji National Philanthropic Trust Cash Assistance Program – a partnership between Save the Children Fiji, Fiji Council of Social Services and Vodafone Fiji.
The first cash transfer to households commenced before Christmas with the final payment due at the end of March.
Save the Children Fiji’s Chief Executive Officer, Shairana Ali says this will be one of the largest cash assistance programs ever rolled out in Fiji and will be especially crucial now as families prepare to send children back to school.
20 December 2020, Emergencies
Yasa is the 12th cyclone to batter Fiji in eight years
After reaching Category 5 ‘super’ status with wind gusts of up to 345 kilometres an hour, Tropical Cyclone Yasa tore across Fiji’s northern Vanua Levu on 17 December, 2020 leaving a trail of immense destruction. The eye of the slow-moving cyclone took about four hours to gouge its way across the island, triggering floods, landslides and blackouts before moving out to sea. It is estimated that 90,000 people have been severely affected, and tragically four deaths have been confirmed.
Early reports compared the devastation wreaked by the cyclone as similar to a war zone. Entire villages have been wiped out, crops destroyed and communications cut.
Tropical Cyclone Yasa Tuesday 15/12/2020
The impacts felt from Yasa were large and wide. Many affected people had their access to essential things, like food and water, cut off.
Tremendous support shown for the Rotary Club of Peninsula Sunset’s disaster relief initiative for the North
Sunday 20/12/2020
The Rotary Club of Peninsula Sunset collected $800 cash and 35 bags of relief items during their disaster relief initiative collection at the ROC Market in Suva, and donations continue to pour in.
Community Service Director Prashant Anuraag says the support from the people of Fiji towards the initiative has been tremendous and they are thankful that people have shown their support to those who have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Yasa.
21/12/2020
Watch: A 45-year-old man and three-month-old baby have been confirmed dead. Credits: Newshub
Tropical cyclone Yasa has dropped to a category 1, but four people are confirmed dead, and an aid worker says it has left some islands looking like a warzone.
While the cyclone had weakened to a category 1 during Saturday afternoon, the disaster management office confirmed the death toll had risen to four. And it had caused widespread damage since hitting Fiji on Friday, particularly in the northern areas and the island of Vanua Levu.
Save the Children Fiji chief executive Shairana Ali said Kia Island, north of Vanua Levu had basically been completely devastated .