CHILDREN must be encouraged from a young age to engage in humanitarian activities in order to foster the spirit of voluntary service.

Red Cross Levuka branch participant Saula Tavaga, who was part of the Fiji Red Cross Society Youth Forum that ended in Suva last week, said planting the interest of community and social work in children was one of the key priorities of the organisation’s youth arm.

“During the forum we did discuss how to strengthen and find ways of doing things and we highlighted how the Junior Red Cross clubs in primary schools would help us achieve this,” Mr Tavaga said.

“Having these clubs running in schools would showcase the importance of helping others out and over time these children would become youths and adults of our society.

“We would help out in the initial stages of this initiative and then a teacher from the school would undertake training conducted by the Red Cross and they would be given resource material as guidelines.”

Red Cross youth co-ordinator Sevuloni Ratu said the forum also discussed the nomination of a chairperson for the youth commission.

“The term is for two years and the chairperson would be responsible for youth-related operations and have a voice on behalf of the youths at the national board of the Fiji Red Cross Society.”