It is difficult not to be swayed by the numbers that are popping up when we discuss the issue of suicides!
It is scary! They serve as a reminder for us all about the value that must be placed on life!
In fact the numbers should trouble us all.
Imagine that! Over the past five years, the Western Division has accounted for 43 percent of suicides in Fiji. These are statistics raised by National Committee on the Prevention of Suicide co-chair and Justice Ministry Permanent Secretary Selina Kuruleca, reminding us that behind each figure lies a life cut short, a family left devastated, and a community struggling to understand why.
We’ve got to understand and appreciate that suicide is not an isolated issue. It affects people from every background, age group and walk of life.
We learn that increasingly, it has touched the young, between the ages of 15 and 35, whose futures are killed before they truly begin.
So we say, prevention begins with awareness. Too often we rush through our daily routines, blind to the silent struggles of those closest to us.
We fail to notice when a loved one is weighed down, or when a friend is slowly withdrawing from the world. We overlook changes in behaviour that could signal distress. So let’s confront this issue by being more present and attentive. Let’s take time to ask, to listen, and to care.
It is important to know that we all respond differently to stress. What one person brushes off, another may find overwhelming. Some cope by talking openly, while others bottle up their feelings. We should not measure another’s pain against our own thresholds, nor dismiss their struggles as minor.
That’s when a culture of empathy is essential.
Life’s pressures are real and, for many, relentless.
Economic hardship, family tensions, personal disappointments and social expectations all take their toll.
For those who feel cornered, suicide may appear to be an escape. That is why it is important to create safe avenues where people can release frustration, share their burdens, and receive guidance. Whether through counselling services, community networks, religious institutions or trusted circles of friends, everyone must know that help exists and is within reach. This is where society at large has a role to play.
So we say, schools could assist in equipping young people with coping strategies and provide counsellors who can recognise warning signs. Workplaces must take mental wellbeing seriously, offering support for employees who are under strain. Community leaders must also keep the conversation alive.
And we say families must remain the first line of support, creating open and honest spaces where children and parents can talk without fear of dismissal.
In the face of all that is happening, the efforts of the National Committee on the Prevention of Suicide are commendable.
Suicide is not the answer to life’s hardships. It is a permanent act in response to what are often temporary struggles. The tragedy is that those who take this path leave behind loved ones who would have done anything to help, if only they had known how.
Let’s unite. Let us come together against suicide. Let us commit to listening, to supporting, and to reminding those in despair that there is always light, even in the darkest tunnel. Life, with all its challenges, is worth fighting for.
Suicide is not the way out!
