Some youths living on the streets of Suva have been given a new hope in life after their meeting with Minister for Local Government Maciu Nalumisa while he was walking in Thurston Garden.
Nalumisa says while walking around the garden yesterday, he was both shocked and saddened to find 3 displaced, young women sheltering in one of the shelters.
He says following his encounter with the trio, he called a joint meeting with the Suva City Council management at 7 last night, at the same shelter where he met the women and was pleased to see that 5 more individuals had also joined them.
The Minister says it was a fruitful and emotional talanoa session as he sat and listened to them while they shared their background, the reasons why they were on the streets, and their dreams.
Nalumisa says these young adults felt forgotten, neglected and unloved and the stigma that comes with it is a contributing factor to their daily struggles and obstacle to progressing in life.
He says after their talanoa session, two of the young women requested assistance in starting up their small business while a young male opted to return to his village in Lau.
Nalumisa says relevant stakeholders will be consulted to assist these young people in realising their dreams and aspirations.
He says as a Minister, he will be working with his teams at the Ministry and council to come up with strategies and solutions to address the needs of these young Fijians, which are accommodation and employment opportunities.
Nalumisa adds his Ministry will work closely with these young Fijians and other key stakeholders to ensure that they do not end up in the streets again.
A recent profiling exercise by the Ministry of Youth and Sports has identified 140 youths living on Suva streets, including 40 women and eight children under the age of 10.
A similar exercise is expected to take place in the West.
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