Profiles
Nature Fiji - Mareqeti-Viti - With the focus of the communities on the environment and nature increasing during this turbulent adverse this century, Nature Fiji - Mareqeti Viti is therefore working on conservation and sustainable management on Fiji's natural heritage to fight global warming. Nature Fiji strives to generate enthusiasm and local expertise in all matter associated with wildlife conservation and management. Mareqeti Viti through raising the level of conservation and environmental awareness education brings about changes. The organization places great emphasis on future generations to learn about natural heritage. The children of Fiji have minimal opportunity to learn about Fiji's natural heritage as this is not available through academic curriculum. Hence Indigenous landowners have been identified as key partners in the conservation and sustainable development. Thus Nature Fiji - Mareqeti Viti now continually conducts workshops and seminars to educate the landowners on the important role they play. New registered members will assist in conservation projects, wildlife management and island restoration projects. Nature Fiji – Mareqeti Viti while protecting natural heritages also leads the fight against global warming.
Lions Club is involved in many facets of community work. The Club through the many talented volunteers are involved in many humanitarian effort. The organization is driven to contribute towards social charity as first envisaged by its founder Melvin Jones in 1971. Lions Club helps individuals, schools, communities and other non-charitable organizations during normal times and during disaster aftermaths. They have helped hundreds of schools upgrade libraries, built bus shelters and raised funds to evacuate needy individuals for overseas treatments. Lions Club also helps create and foster a spirit of understanding among the people of the communities. It takes an active interest in the civic, cultural, social and moral welfare of the communities. They unite the clubs in the bonds of friendship, good fellowship and mutual understanding. Finally and most importantly, it encourages service-minded people to serve their community without personal financial reward.
Mission Natuvu Creek with the objective of bringing medical services, offers dental and ocular care to the members of the communities through resident and visiting doctors. These doctors are able to provide care for many curable health problems such as skin diseases, dental decay and cataracts, which would otherwise be permanently debilitating. Patients come to the Mission from all over the island to seek medical care that otherwise may not be accessible to them. The Mission is possible through the generosity of medical professionals and layman alike together with companies and individuals who have generously donated to the clinic. The mission provides free medical services to Fiji's most underserved communities. Patients that visit the clinic come from the far corners of Fiji in search of professional and cost free medical services.
Immanuel AOG Church collaborates with government and community agencies to enhance the well-being of today's and tomorrow’s generations. Church leader's functions are as gatekeepers and source of referrals and informations. Together they provide counselling, offer support groups sessions and develop community specific programs. They are involved in advocacy, lobbying, consultation, referral, program planning, and communities development. Church leaders are frequently aware of community issues and can influence leaders and advise planners and social workers of the needs of the communities. AOG Church helps young people strengthen their spiritual life to be better citizens in the community.
Rotary Club is an organization of service clubs located around Fiji. The purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the communities. The Club is open to all persons regardless of race, colour, creed, gender, or political preferences. Rotary is engaged in many water projects around the country providing safe drinking water to underserved communities. Hundreds of communities have benefited from this projects and their standard of living has certainly improved. The Club is engaged in other social activities around the country. These projects are achieved with other partners such as Punjas Group, Westpac, Fiji Water and Vodafone ATH Foundation. The Water for Life is is greatly improving the standard of living for the communities as it will help prevent water borne diseases from these communities.
Lautoka Special School - All children, including children with disabilities and children with special needs have a constitutional right to education. Disadvantaged children who suffer from disability are sometimes neglected and putting them together with able children does not help in their education. Though they are disabled they also aspire to excel like anyone else. These children are talented in a different way and Charity Partner Lautoka Special School strives to unravel these rare gems, nurture them and groom them to be able citizens of our communities. The school provides specialized curriculum and vocational training for them. Here children are taught to be self-reliant and independent. The School is driven by its compassion for society’s most needy and underprivileged in its social obligation.
The Pacific Foundation for the Advancement of Women & National Council of Women (PACFAW) works in different aspects of gender advocacy. PACFAW’s programs focus is on trade and economic reform and its impact for women, human rights/good governance and strategic leadership and management. The Foundation also trains women in political skills in order to increase the number of women in parliament. National Council of Women, the NCWF is a non-governmental organisation that was established in 1968 to be the focal point for the women of Fiji. Today it is one of the strongest bodies in the country that voices Fiji women's concerns. It is also the umbrella organisation of women NGO's in Fiji. The Council is a national coordinating body of women's organisations/groups in Fiji. It acts as a national forum providing women of Fiji with a collective voice to speak out and take action on issues of local, national and international concerns. Lastly the council is a non-political, non-sectarian, non-profit and non-government organisation.
Adi Cakobau School Old Girls Association works together with the ACS staff and management in many areas. As old scholars of the institution ACSOGA participate in many activities as a measure of giving back to the institution. The association facilitates reunions and other social functions to provide networking opportunities for its members. Its overriding goal is to support the College in all its endeavours. ACSOGA committee ensures that there are annual functions to encourage camaraderie and networking. At all of its functions, it welcomes Old Girls and friends. One of the longest standing traditions of ACSOGA is the emphasis on learning. Learning, in its broadest sense, is valued and nurtured. When girls feel connected, supported and valued, then they are empowered to achieve and give to others. The ACSOGA supports the institutions focus in developing girls who will embrace and value and the benefits of a well-rounded education. ACSOGA encourages each girl to strive to reach her full potential and participate in the many opportunities offered at the institution. The ACSOGA is always looking for ways in which it can support the school. It contributes financially to the schools development campaigns. Funds raised by the Old Girls enable the financing of many of the institutions ambitious endeavours. It anticipates continuing in this tradition of adding and enhancing the schools facilities. The Association helps students in many activities students engage in. It also works closely with the institution to see that the students welfare is well looked after.
Save the Children Fiji runs 'Child Rights Awareness and Training' – Through general advocacy, research, education and training it aims to protect children at risk of abuse, exploitation and violence. Children’s participation is brought to the forefront through the facilitation of children’s forums and the ongoing activities of child-led initiative like 'Kids Link Fiji Early Childhood Education – The Mobile Playgroup Programme provides basic education for economically disadvantaged children. Mobile kindergarten facility integrates community development with educational objectives that support both children and their families. Research and Advocacy – research projects provide the information necessary to advocate for policy changes to bring about improvements to children’s lives.
Young Women Christian Association is a non-profitable organization that works with the grassroots women. It acts as a pressure group that epitomizes the interest of women on local, regional and international issues. YWCA provides a channel for the sharing of resources and the exchange of experience among associations and members. It helps its affiliated associations with the development of their leadership and programmes. The association surveys new fields and promotes work to meet the needs therein. It acts in cooperation with other voluntary movements and with intergovernmental organisations in matters of common concern. YWCA works for international understanding, for improved social and economic conditions arid for basic human rights for all people. In times of emergency it undertakes and sponsors international humanitarian, welfare, and relief work, in accordance with Christian principles, irrespective of religious, social, political, national or racial differences.
Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS). National Volunteer Center will provide unemployed people who share a passion for volunteerism with opportunities to make a difference in their community. The center will also help the volunteers secure employment by acquiring skills, generating income, and showcasing their arts and talents. NVC is a flagship for last year’s International Volunteer Year and has paved a way in Fiji’s volunteer movement. This uplifts lives of youths by providing an opportunity to make a world of difference. Volunteers promote and encourage corporate volunteering, provide peer mentoring, counseling, coaching and supportive communication, building quality relations and bringing about partner solidarity, promoting self-investment and social entrepreneurship. It links with global volunteer partners to promote volunteerism, localize global volunteer concepts for effective local participation and consolidate the volunteer efforts has impacted imposition in Fiji.
FCOSS Micro Finance Unit; the Fiji Council of Social Services established its Micro Finance Unit to educate a sector of Fiji’s society on the importance of savings. FCOSS MFU targets informal settlements and rural communities to educate them on financial literacy. It targets to educate this underserved and mostly uneducated sector of Fiji’s society. MFU targets low income earners who live below poverty line to educate them of the benefits of savings. The Financial Literacy Project is the vehicle to spread the gospel to help fight alleviate poverty in communities. Through the project members of the communities become the agent of change. Economic development of this sector of society is important because it transforms relations and impulses transformational development. FCOSS/MFU also promotes transformed social system and interdependency relations in communities. It helps develop economic capacities, supply of micro-finance services, access to markets and economic justice. FCOSS/MFU is striving to reach more communities to educate them on financial literacy to empower people so it makes a world of difference in their lives.
Rabi Women Organization/ Rabi Youth; The Banaban’s are the 'Forgotten People of the Pacific' who have suffered from one of the greatest ecological and environmental disasters over the past century. Rabi Women Organization/ Youth Organization hopes through learning more about their endeavours to save their identity and homeland they could move toward to a brighter future. Rabi Women Organization/ Rabi Youth contribute to empower the Banaban women and youths on the island of Rabi. The organization provides education through workshops and training programs to develop skills that impact their lives. Women and youths are also taught sustainable farming techniques with the utilization of natural resources. The organization targets to train these women and youth on economic development initiatives. It helps identify potential projects, carry out study and its survey to implement the projects. It seeks donors to finance projects in need of capital investments that will help improve the lives of these women and youths and their families. It seeks social justice and builds a better future for the Banaban communities. The organization continues to make environmental rehabilitation and sustainable development. Equality, unity cultural heritage and preservation of ethnic identity are some of the key principles of the organization. It also provides a global voice for the Banaban people and encourages participation in wide range of global and local issues.
Ecumenical Centre for Research, Education & Advocacy is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO) with the aim to address the social, religious, economic and political issues that confront Fiji. ECREA is guided by the principles of Social Justice & Equity, Integral Human Development and Servant Leadership. It works with youth to develop and build on their ability to confront discrimination and systemic injustices that divide people. ECREA sees youth as the potential architects of a Fiji that sees itself as "one nation", inclusive of diverse cultures in peaceful cooperation. One programme addresses the issues of poverty and economic injustice in Fiji by increasing public awareness of the social consequences of the country’s economic practices and by advocating for just and accountable policies (such as “just wage” policies) that improves the quality of life for all.
It also raises concerns, initiate housing programs, press for policy change, and to improve the social and economic conditions of informal settlements throughout Fiji.
ACATA Trust Fiji is an action group working towards providing Medical and Socio-Economic Programme Services for Children and the Aged. These are targeted towards Healthier Communities with Happier & Prosperous Families free from sickness or disease. These communities are assisted and properly organized for own and self-welfare, risk reduction, all phases of disaster preparation, greater environmental and ecological harmony, present and future for food security and health safety through wider cooperation with vision & empowerment. Central most, advocate and effective delivery agent for all Children and the Aged unmet medical care needs, research, health protection and humanitarian crisis – medical services preparedness by developing partnerships and empowering the community with Fiji – wide channelling mechanisms for their on-going assistance. Re-direct resources and immediate attentions to the unmet medical and development needs to all at high risk and vulnerable Children and the Aged for their health improvement, safety, protection and making their lives better by ensuring timely care and providing advice to the people through a community awareness campaign and nationwide campaign to lead a healthier and productive life.
Transparency International - The cancerous state of society’s unseen menace; corruption, is dangerous. Transparency International is led by the vision to free Fiji from corruption. It achieves so by mobilizing stakeholders to promote with a strong sustainable National Integrity System. All this is achievable through building national coalitions embracing the state, civil and private sectors in order to fight societies menace. TI supports and co-operates with other National Chapters to implement this mission. Education and awareness campaigns are conducted through collection analysis, considerations and dissemination of awareness. The impact of corruption on human and economic development is stressed. Transparency International Fiji continues to promote awareness on the nature of corruption and options towards its eradication. It encourages members of the society and organizations to promote integrity, accountability and transparency. Promoting major conventions like the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is one of the ways in which TI Fiji works with others to create a society freed from corruption, thus a better Fiji to live in!
St. Christopher’s Home is an orphanage and housing children of all races, ethnicity and culture in Fiji. Many of the children living in the Home are either abused, neglected or abandoned by their families. Hence the Home gives care that these children need. It offers love and friendship to these innocent children and a refuge to many weary youngsters. The goal of the home is to provide these children with something they deserve. Children are treated as their own and are treated equally as a member of the St. Christopher’s Home. They are showered with love, care and special attention they deserve at a young age. The home provides family based care for everyone. Maintaining excellent standard of education is a basic and fundamental priority. The provision of nutritional meals to the children is emphasized and healthy living for these children is maintained. The Home nurtures these children from primary to secondary or tertiary institutions. It prepares these unfortunate children to enter society like any other and makes sure that they are equipped to start a life of their own.
Home of Hope helps young mothers rebuild and empower their lives to reintegrate into society and be economically independent. The home runs many facets of training program that would empower these young mothers to make a difference in their lives. These women are taught the basic skills of initiating a business and the basic management skills needed to run a business successfully. They are also offered the benefit of attending business forums and seminars at USP to broaden their understanding of enterprise. Many other vocational training skills are harnessed such as baking, housekeeping, jewelry making and poultry farming. The Home hopes that they could undertake one of these skills and make out a living out of it when they leave. The home strives to make a difference in the lives of these mothers by empowering them. It hopes that the capacity these mothers build will help them alleviate their standard of living.