helping hand
SIXTY-FIVE schools in the remote part of Fiji that were affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold have been assisted through the Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji’s Fiji Stronger Together TC Harold Response Project.
ADRA Fiji has been working closely with the Education Ministry in the distribution of food items, educational materials and recreational kits to boarding schools and stand-alone preschools in the interior of Ba, Navosa, coastal areas of Ra and Nairai in Lomaiviti.
Through the project, boarding schools are assisted with food rations as their communities are still recovering from the wrath of the cyclone where their main source of food were affected.
“We have been distributing food rations to boarding schools in remote areas as their food supplies have been affected by TC Harold. We have given out school materials to help in their recovery – if not for now then they can be used in the new school year,” project manager Inosi Yabakivou said.
Assistance in the form of learning materials is also made to stand-alone early childhood education (ECE) that solely rely on community support.
The project not only looks at addressing food security for schools, but also to provide child-friendly learning materials support.
The project is funded by The Latter-day Saint Charities - the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with the purpose of relieving suffering, foster self-reliance and provide opportunities for service.
ADRA Fiji & LDS Charities have been collaborating on a number of humanitarian projects to assist people in vulnerable communities.
The project is another example of the long-term impact and slow path to recovery for isolated communities affected by tropical cyclones in the South Pacific. By partnering with LDS Charities, ADRA is able to leverage stronger humanitarian assistance that helps communities build back better, and be more resilient to future hazards.
The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well. — RALPH WALDO EMERSON