Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Rosy Akbar has revealed in Parliament that there are over 100 beggars on our streets and every effort has been made to assist them.
While speaking on the Review of the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation 2017 – 2018 Annual Report, Akbar says a number of beggars suffer from mental illnesses and her teams take them for medical treatment but unfortunately no family member comes to take them when they are out.
She says they have tried to engage them in livelihood projects.
Akbar adds they have also found that most of the beggars have serious mental issues and have been neglected by their families while some are disabled.
Akbar also revealed the Ministry had to let go of the Good Samaritan Inn in Colo-i-Suva because of audit issues.
The Minister says she has asked the Director of Social Welfare to see how they can sort the matter to ensure the home can function again.
The Good Samaritan Facility was built in partnership with the Nazarene Church with a funding of $100,000 provided by the government in 2015. The facility was built to house beggars and provide them with employment.
Meanwhile, SODELPA MP, Salote Radrodro says one of the nagging issues that we still have is an increase in the number of beggars on our streets, particularly at this time when we are faced with more hardships.
Radrodro says she is happy that Akbar is back in the Ministry because she was there from the previous term of Parliament.
Radrodro says she also wants to acknowledge that the Barefoot project is now 80 percent complete.
The project is to empower rural women and their communities along a poverty alleviation development pathway through rural solar electrification.
