While many former farmers move to the urban centers of Suva, Lautoka, and Labasa in search of work, too many find themselves without land or assets, living in makeshift squatter settlements where their children do not have access to the benefits of early education. The Save the Children Fund has initiated the Mobile Playgroup Project in these areas to bring sustainable, community-driven kindergarten programs to underprivileged communities in urban areas where many children would otherwise receive no early childhood education. Communities provide a potential location for the school, a teacher, and a school committee, while Save the Children provides training, some materials, and support in registering the schools and, in some cases, funding for building the centers. FIJI Water Foundation’s contribution has made playgrounds, toys, books, and educational materials available at these schools, as well as general support for their continued operation and improvement.

Fencing and repainting of school facilities may seem like a simple task, but for the children of Saivou Kindergarten it has made all the difference. Their kindergarten, once an abandoned building, is now well painted, upgraded, and fenced, providing children with a playground area which the school will continue to develop. All work was accomplished by teachers, primary school students, and community members. The kindergarten complements the primary school and is a model facility for the region, serving as a host center for teachers’ conferences.

Following the 2006 downsizing at the Vatukoula Gold Mine, more than 1,000 workers are now without jobs or opportunities in the Tavua area. Recently established to address the needs of these people, the Gold Foundation has identified through their work with focus groups that many women would like to be more self-sufficient and help provide for their families. Their pilot program, “Coping with Poverty through Income Generating Education” (CPIGE), has targeted more than 300 women from the Tavua and Vatukoula area of both Indian and Fijian descent. Their workshops on practical skills such as chutney cooking & bottling, farming for profit, handicrafts, and simple marketing skills encourage financial independence and empower women to better manage their time and resources. CPIGE also provides a Tavua market stall free of charge to trainees where they can sell their wares, and helps to connect the women with other markets in Lautoka and Nadi.

Mulomulo is 15km inland of Nadi and most of the community members are subsistence or cane farmers. Despite its status as a Muslim school, Mulomulo’s student population is more than half local Fijian and students receive a multi-ethnic, bilingual education, learning Urdu and Fijian. There is currently no local kindergarten or early education program for children in the area, but with FIJI Water Foundation's assistance, the school community is currently building a kindergarten, scheduled to open in 2010.

 

Vishnu Deo caters to nearly 500 primary school students from many of the poorest areas of Suva’s squatter settlement community. Nevertheless, the school regularly sends students on to competitive secondary schools. The donation of these educational resources including encyclopedias, reference aids, literature, science books, and stories, will help the school to reflect. The community will contribute towards the building of new shelves and library improvements.

Good fences make good neighbors, and sometimes, better schools. Nakauvadra Vocational High School is one of four secondary schools in the rural Ra Province and caters to over 250 students with 28 teachers and staff living on or nearby the campus. The school is on the main highway, located near to Rakiraki Village and the Province’s central township of Rakiraki. Unfortunately, due in part to this proximity, the school has regularly suffered from acts of theft and vandalism, with more than 13 reported cases from 2000-2007, and 5 in the last year. With the aid of FIJI Water’s fencing project, the school can now invest in tools and resources to improve their course offerings. This project has also served as learning opportunity for 36 vocational students who will receive training from their instructors as they secure the posts, mix and pour cement, and wire the fence around the perimeter of their school building.

Through the JP Bayly Trust, FIJI Water Foundation has supported scholarships for more than 350 of Fiji’s neediest children in Lautoka, Labasa, and Suva. The J P Bayly Trust was established in 1954 and the Bayly Education Fund’s aim is to counter destitution by ensuring that young people receive a basic education. The Trustees recognize a good education is one of the best tools to counter poverty. The Fund currently operates in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa. From the year 2002 Bayly Education has assisted approximately 500 children by paying school fees and providing books etc. to children who would otherwise be unable to afford them. Our support of their scholarship program helped more than 400 children in 2009 to stay in school.
 

Located in the remote province of Bua on Vanua Levu, the teachers and management of Lekutu District School have learned to be resourceful. The nearest town or shopping centre is more than two hour’s drive away and with more than 180 students and 8 teachers, every resource is precious. The school management applied to FIJI Water Foundation for assistance in constructing a library- until recently books were stored at the back of one of the classrooms leading to interruptions when students would sign out a book. With our support they are now well underway towards having a dedicated school library.
 

Based in Suva, The Good Neighbor (TGNI) also operates in Australia, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea. The organization focuses on providing grass-roots assistance wherever it is most needed, particularly to the poor, the unemployed, the hungry, and the homeless. Their services include a Suva-based hostel for women, kids, families, and people who have nowhere to turn. They also help communities to improve their lifestyles with water, education, and food security projects. Their motto is “We Build People” and their goal is not to provide a "hand out" but a "hand up." With a 2009 grant from the FIJI Water Foundation, they have been able to improve four of their local resource centers around the country. These centers are like big community gardens and farms, with some simple on-site housing provided, and also computer resources and study facilities for children after school. The TGNI center in Wainivula, Ra is fully operational and self-sustaining, bringing in $500 a week in sale of produce in local markets and at hotels. Over the school holidays, TGNI organizes for children from the Suva shelter to visit the rural center in Ra. Like summer camp, the children have daily activities, chores, responsibilities and also get free time to swim, play volleyball and relax with other children in the area.  FIJI Water Foundation is passionate about development and change that starts from within a community, and we are proud to be supporting the work of The Good Neighbor.