CSO Alliance for COVID-19 Humanitarian Response calls for support of struggling Fijians in the West

The Fiji CSO Alliance for COVID-19 Humanitarian Response is calling for support for the people in the Western Division who are struggling just to try and put food on the table and have a decent meal.

The CSO Alliance for COVID 19 Humanitarian Response is made up of 8 organisations working across different sectors in Fiji including Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND), Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality, Citizens' Constitutional Forum, Social Empowerment and Education Programme (SEEP), femLINKpacific, Rainbow Pride Foundation and the Fiji Women's Rights Movement.

While speaking during a joint press conference as representatives of the Alliance, entrepreneur Phyllis Vatucawaqa says no one is coming out and saying that they do not have enough to eat as they are ashamed.

Vatucawaqa says after COVID-19 there was the assistance given and at the hype of the moment everything was going well but after a while, they started to feel the full effects in the West.

She says with all these issues faced, it frustrates them to see that more attention is put on an area that is not helping them at all at the moment.

Meanwhile FRIEND Fiji Founder, Sashi Kiran says the 100,000 people who are now unemployed or are on reduced hours are also neglected.

Kiran says more concentration at the moment is on the travel bubble.

She says they have been on the ground and have spoken with families who are saying that they are finding it hard to pay bills as the money they get from FNPF is not enough to even feed their families.

She says some families have shared with them that they told their children that if there is no food then they will not go to school.

Kiran has also called on the Minister for Education to check on the absenteeism rate for students from the West and how many students are not attending school because they have no food.

We are currently trying to speak to the Minister for Education and the Acting Minister for Economy, Tourism and Industry on the issues raised.