United Sports Club Auckland and Sai Prema assist 111 families

United Sports Club Auckland and Sai Prema Foundation Fiji have collaborated to assist 111 underprivileged and needy families with grocery ration packs. United Sports Club is an active club that participates in Gujarati Sports and cultural activities in New Zealand.

It was formed in the early 1990’s with founding members who had initially migrated from Fiji and now consider New Zealand their home.

With such strong connections with Fiji, most of the current members were born, brought up from a number of towns in Fiji.

Their members now span over three generations and the executive committee decided to do its bit for the community in Fiji.

United Sports Club President, Dylan Billimoria says it is important that they associated themselves with a legitimate non-profit organisation and provide confidence to their patrons that the money they were collecting was going to end up with those most in need. Billimoria says they came across the work of Sai Prema and it aligned well with the club’s values.

He says they particularly liked the idea of having funds going towards distribution of food parcels to those needy families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Billimoria says every day, we hear stories of how COVID-19 is raging across Fiji. He hopes the tiny contribution they have made brings some relief to those families that are feeling helpless.

Sai Prema Foundation Director, Sumeet Tappoo says they are grateful to United Sports Club Auckland, their executives, patrons and members for their dedication and efforts in assisting families in Fiji with grocery ration packs.

 Sai Prema Foundation Director, Sumeet Tappoo. [image: Sai Prema Foundation/Facebook]

Tappoo says this has meant that 111 families will not sleep hungry.

He says it is heart-warming to see that our former Fijians are giving back to their motherland and it gives great hope that together, as a nation and its people, not only within Fiji but across the diaspora globally, we will successfully navigate through these challenging times.

The packs were distributed to needy families across Viti Levu with the help of the National Disaster Management Office and the Barara Youth Club.