Renuka receives help
Food security and livelihood support
RENUKA, 49, has been through many setbacks in life but nothing could be compared to the struggle her family had to go through because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The uneven burden of hunger being placed on her family of six was a painful experience as Renuka and her husband were forced out of employment.
Renuka lost her job earlier after her textile company was forced to close down from the effect of the first wave last year while her husband, a security officer at a supermarket, was made to stay home when the second outbreak hit Fiji.
She lives with her 50-year-old husband, her mother-in-law who is over 70, and her son and his two children at Sakoca settlement in Tacirua.
“We have never struggled in our entire life like the way we struggled because of COVID-19.”
With tears in her eyes, Renuka was not reluctant to share her story when the team from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji visited her family last month to deliver food rations as part of the COVID-19 Operations Fiji assistance.
Her family was among the 1000 affected families that were assisted with food rations under the operation that is supported by Latter-day Saint Charities, World Vision New Zealand, Tearfund New Zealand, Sanitarium Food Company Ltd – Australia and ADRA Global Network.
“When my husband lost his job, we had no other source of income. We cooked only once a day and we only have two meals from it,” she said.
“There were times when we had nothing at all and had to rely on what was being brought in by our neighbours to survive.”
Renuka shared that from her experience working in the textile factory, she started selling homemade masks and also fried peas, but again it wasn’t sufficient to sustain her family. Their small home garden was also very helpful to them.
“This is the first food help we received during this time and we sincerely thank you for making an effort to visit our home to deliver our food.
“We also received our $360 cash assistance from Government a week ago – only one of us qualified and by the time it arrived, we had bills to pay as well so the assistance that you are bringing today is also a blessing for us and once again, thank you for your help.”
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has increased in Fiji and Renuka is one of the many that suffer in silence.
COVID-19 Operations Fiji
The goal of the project is to reduce suffering, maintain human dignity, and to assist in the containment of the COVID-19 while contributing towards creating pandemic resilient communities in Fiji. The project activities provide support to communities in desperate need, as identified by the National Disaster Management Office and Division commissioners as well as to the Ministry of Health within Suva.
Provision of Food Security and Livelihood support – apart from the 1000 food kits already distributed, close to 1000 affected households will also be assisted with multi-purpose cash. Support will also be through the provision of seeds and raising awareness on healthy eating and COVID-19 resilience.
Critical and timely complementary support to government and communities to address COVID-19 which was achieved through the provision of 100 beds to be used at COVID-19 Care Facilities set up outside of the hospital and also distributions of PPEs to the Ministry of Health and community front liners. Close to 1000 affected families will be provided multi-purpose cash to assist in addressing their needs.
Health and vaccination awareness campaigns, and psychosocial support to affected households
Area of focus for this project is the Central Division, mainly in Suva and the surrounding areas due to the second outbreak being concentrated in these areas. Our assistance reached as far as as far as Delailasakau in Naitasiri. Six communities in Naitasiri were also assisted.
These communities depend on the sale of their fresh produce in the market for their livelihood but it was affected due to the restriction of movements with the containment borders in place.