Children are abandoned and forgotten when a large number of Fijians leave the country for work and start new relationships abroad.

Consultant Marica Tabualevu of the Fiji-Australian Humanitarian Partnership has called for measures that would hold people responsible or accountable for forgotten children.

She said adults who engaged in such behaviour forgot they had children “left behind with no income or very little parental support” just because they did not want their partner anymore.

Tabualevu told a public consultation in Suva last Friday discussing a draft of the Child Care and Protection Bill and Child Justice Bill 2023 that too many children were being “abandoned”.

Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre’s senior counsellor advocate and community educator Ilisapeci Veibuli also called on the Fiji government to ensure there was sufficient budget to support the draft law as implementation and enforcement were important.

In a separate event, the NGO Empower Pacific said that last year more than 1040 children were counselled with the bulk of them suffering from depression.

Elena Vucukula is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Be responsible, righteous, honest, and lead by example.

That’s the advice from psychotherapist Selina Kuruleca to all fathers, as Fijians celebrate Father’s Day today.

Being a father was not only a biological thing, or a physical thing, Kuruleca said.

“It’s also an emotional thing, a mental, psychological attachment and part of that responsibility means being there, being there in all those aspects psychologically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually,” she said.

“Just so you know, you’re a father figure to someone.

“What does it mean? It means nurturing, it means protecting, it means loving, it means compassion.

“And it means being someone who can be trusted to protect and to provide for someone, who can listen and also partner with their spouses and paddling with their children in terms of uplifting their family, leading them in a manner that is good not only for the family but for the extended family, the community and the nation.”

Kuruleca saluted single fathers for the roles they played and urged them to continue looking after their children.

“For single fathers, continue to be there for your children, provide for them, for your nephews and nieces, for your grandchildren because they need it and no one else can fulfill that role.

“You take it from a biblical perspective. The Bible talks about the father being the head of the household. It doesn’t mean that you don’t play your part.

“You know, being the head of the household means doing everything to be that role. And that means monitoring things safely.”

Luke Nacei is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Inadequate parental support and the lack of parental engagement with education stakeholders are resulting in boys’ disengagement from education in Fiji, says a new report released by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The report, Boys’ Disengagement from Education – Fiji Case Study, was authored by Dr Wahab Ali, associate professor and head of the Education Department at the University of Fiji.

“Parents’ positive aspirations for their children, especially teens, are strongly linked to academic achievement,” said the report.

“Getting parents involved in their children’s learning, especially at home, is known to make a real difference and potentially has a much bigger impact on a child’s success at school than anything else.

“The study found that there are positive academic outcomes associated with parental involvement, with benefits beginning in early childhood and continuing through adolescence.

“A sound parent-child relationship characterised by nurturing, acceptance and encouragement, as well as parents’ responsiveness to the child’s needs, correlates with positive academic performance.

“Supportive parents help students with homework, which in turn enhances self-esteem and results in better academic performance.

“For a child to achieve academically, parents must be involved and participate in the educational process. The more involved the parents are, the more students are likely to become productive members of society, as well as excelling in academics.”

Anish Chand is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz