Two Mums Assist Nadi Schools
Lunch drive initiatives by two Nadi mothers, Austin Matarugu and Shainaz Khan, have assisted 120 students at two Nadi schools. Mrs Matarugu said they had been contacted by the Voice of Needy Foundation to help in providing lunch for students of Sabeto District School and Maharishi Sanatan College.
“My friend and I have been assisting our community in ways that we can. When we heard about the situation in schools about students coming to school without lunch and some are coming to school without food at home, we decided to assist them in whatever ways that we can,” she said. “We thought of kids whose parents have been laid off from work. We decided to give what we have in order to feed these children.”
The mother of two, who operates a stall at the VotCity Flea Market, said she had left her stall just to go and cook the food for the school children.
“It doesn’t matter what organisation donated to the school, we just want to be part of helping and feeding children with healthy meals,” she said.
The Voice of the Needy Foundation and the two women have been assisting various schools in the Nadi area with lunch and school stationery.
Sabeto District School head teacher, Sofia Matai, said her students were pleased with the lunch and school stationery that were provided throughout the week.
“Seventy-six students were assisted with lunch for a week. These are the students whose parents have been affected by the pandemic crisis,” she said.
“Some parents were hotel workers and some worked for Air Terminal Services and they all lost their jobs.
“We are really grateful and fortunate for the great assistance from the Voice of the Needy Foundation and the support from the two mothers.
“They provided the children with healthy lunch and also with school stationeries. The students have been really pleased with what they have received.”