Aussies help feed former hotel workers
An Australian woman has mustered the support of her Facebook group members and partnered with Epic International from Maui Bay to distribute $48,512.87 worth of food parcels to unemployed Coral Coast hotel workers.
Julie Miller, who runs a few Facebook pages supporting local resorts in Fiji including the Naviti Beach Resort and Warwick Fiji, felt the struggles of workers through messages posted on facebook.
Subsequently, Craig and Evette de la Mare, owners of Maui Bay Supermarket, Total Service Station and iconic Craig’s Place also noticed the struggle of the people.
They acknowledged that the Fiji Government was doing all the right things to support the people in getting agriculture going as quickly as possible to feed the people in the long term and in the short term assist with Fiji National Provident Fund pay-out.
Feed hotel workers
Ms Miller came up with the idea to collect funds from as many Facebook group members staying overseas and where possible, help feed resort and hotel staff members who had been laid off from work and waiting for their crops to mature.
“These people are like family to us,” Ms
Miller said.
Mr and Mrs de la Mare and their entire Epic International team embraced the project and have been foot soldiers by ensuring all funds received was used to purchase food for the people on the lists provided by Ms Miller.
Change of role
For the past 14 weeks, Vijay Achari, general manager of Epic International Limited and his team worked tirelessly to make sure the food parcels were distributed.
The support was also extended to villages on Vatulele Island immediately after the devastation of TC Harold.
During that time, the Epic team used their boats to deliver food to the island before the main aid arrived from Government.
They also assisted in ferrying government officials to carry out the necessary assessments.
Mr de la Mare said the team had started collecting food for Taqeqe Primary School to assist until crops would be harvested.
He has urged people not to stop farming as Fiji would need to become self-sufficient at the soonest.
“Support our government and each other by becoming self-sufficient as soon as you can. “We couldn’t have done this without our amazing Julie Miller, and all the angels overseas supporting local Fijians to get through a very tough period.
“This is humanity at its best, giving time and resources to those that need it most,” Mr de la Mare said.
Support our Government and each other by becoming self sufficient as soon as you can.