THE revelation that the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection is developing a rehabilitation centre within the Suva Juvenile Centre to support street kids is encouraging.
From the outset, it may be a concern, pinpointing a major challenge, however, there is scope for positive development as well.
Minister Sashi Kiran said the development of the centre was part of a comprehensive and ongoing strategy to address street homelessness among vulnerable groups.
There was work in progress, she said, to extend space at the juvenile centre in Suva.
In the interim, the ministry, she said, was collaborating with various organisations, including the Salvation Army, Inspire Pacific, and other shelters, to provide immediate care and support for children.
There were separate facilities in place, she said, to accommodate young girls and help them focus and “orient themselves”.
In saying that, the ministry is also working on a rehabilitation program for elderly people living on the streets.
She acknowledged joint efforts with the Ministry of Housing to expand available space for the elderly.
“So, the beggars and the older persons, we are hoping to create other spaces. But for the young children, there are different levels of work happening.”
Youth rehabilitation efforts were being closely co-ordinated with the Ministry of Youth.
While there were challenges, particularly in cases where children were dealing with substance dependency, the ministry she said, was working alongside UNICEF to implement a country-wide training program focused on drug and abuse rehabilitation.
She stressed that while significant progress was being made through inter-agency and inter-ministerial collaboration, the public may not yet see visible results.
We have always said that any initiative to embrace improving the lot of our youth is welcome.
In fact, it offers a positive outlook for us as a nation.
It may not be impressive to be looking at our woes with our youth, however, the fact that there is a systematic push to address our many challenges is great.
We look up to the powers that be to ensure measures are in place to assist our youth to overcome their problems and find a way out of their many dilemmas.
Our youth need all the support we can give them. Our challenge is to be proactive.
We say acknowledgement is due for all the effort to put in place a base.
