The growing impact of drug abuse, teenage pregnancies, youth offending and violence against women will be among the issues highlighted during the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma Women’s Conference on Tuesday.
An awareness session will be held as part of the one-day conference programme at the World Harvest Centre, bringing together women from the 59 divisions of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Secretary for the Methodist Women’s Fellowship (MWF), Reverend Maraia Toko says the session will focus on the theme, “Women of Faith Responding to Social Issues”.
She says the CEO of the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Josua Naisele, who will be the guest speaker, is expected to raise awareness about some of the challenges affecting families and communities.
Reverend Toko says particular attention will be given to rising drug use and its impact on children and young people, teenage pregnancies, youth offending, and the abuse and harassment faced by women.
She says the aim is for women attending the session to better understand these issues and take what they have learned back to their families, churches and communities.
Women from three age groups within the Methodist Church will participate in the programme, including the Ruci Group for women aged 20 to 40, the Priscilla Group for those aged 41 to 50, and the Sera Group for women aged 51 to 60.
The programme will be held on Tuesday from 8am to 1pm and will also include praise and worship, as well as a combined prayer service.
Today, members of the church held a march from John Wesley College to the Vodafone Arena to mark the beginning of the Methodist Church Annual Conference.
Church members turned up in numbers to be part of this auspicious occasion.
