Thank you for the act of kindness

THERE was a story that ran on Page 12 of Wednesday’s The Fiji Times. It was a report about two Lautoka friends who had distributed groceries to the needy worth about $350,000 since the COVID-19 pandemic hit Fiji in March.

Buoyed by a commitment to bring relief to those affected by COVID-19, the friends have been turning heads with their acts of kindness.

They have since become heroes in the face of thousands of people negatively impacted by the pandemic.

They have gone out of their way to bring comfort to many. They are also known to express their views on various topics, and don’t pull their punches either.

The latest word is that they have assisted about 7000 families in the Western Division, parts of Suva, Koro Island and Vatulele Island.

In the face of the pandemic, and considering the fact that no one is immune to its impact, they stand out as apt reminders about the resilience of the human spirit, and the willingness of the heart to embrace the welfare of others. Surely they each have their own considerations to factor in on the home front.

This is why such acts of kindness deserve attention. They stand as testimony of the calibre of people we have around us.

There are obviously many other people who willingly make donations, and support such initiatives.

Many will remain in the background. Many will remain as unknown faces.

There is, however personal satisfaction in giving. It means the world to them to know they may have contributed to bring joy to someone, somewhere.

It is not unusual that in times of turmoil, or natural disasters, Fijians come together to prop up one another. This is what makes us special. We have seen it many times over the years.

We love our soccer and sevens rugby. In fact we love sports in general. We cheer every time the national side runs onto the field anywhere around the world with passion. That’s when every imaginary demarcation line is thrown to the wind. We smile even when the chips are down, and we have lost everything to a natural disaster, and we give from the heart when we can, and sometimes even when we can barely afford to do so.

On the international front, the World Health Organization has recorded 14,765,256 cases around the world, and 612,054 deaths as of Wednesday.

In a CNN interview four weeks ago, the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Robert Redfield told reporters: “This pandemic is not over. The most powerful tool that we have, the most powerful weapon, is social distancing.”

It’s how we must live life right now.

On the home front, with 115,000 people having been directly impacted by the virus, we accept that thousands are struggling out there.

In the face of that predicament, are people like the two Lautoka friends.

They bring about a semblance of order, and hope for many.

There are many more people like them hitting the road daily to assist their fellow Fijians.

To all these good Samaritans, we say thank you for the thought. Thank you for the effort, and thank you for bringing relief and smiles to the faces of those impacted by COVID-19.