More than 100 church leaders of the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Church conducted a clean-up campaign today throughout Sigatoka Town as part of a new climate action commitment under the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji’s Disaster Ready Churches Project.
In a statement, ADRA stated the clean-up campaign marked an end to a three-day stewardship and disaster risk reduction (DRR) training.
The program focused on disaster ready churches in climate action for church leaders in the Western Division – a joint collaboration between the Fiji Mission of the Seventh-Day Adventists and ADRA Fiji supported by the South Pacific Division.
“During the training, these leaders were training on disaster risk reduction and we discussed ways we can integrate climate change action in our communities to mitigate climate change risks,” said ADRA Fiji emergency coordinator Samisoni Loga.
“The clean-up campaign this morning was simply putting into action what they’ve learned and to ensure they become responsible citizens and contribute to the reduction of disaster risks through climate action.”
During the clean-up campaign, church leaders removed non-biodegradable waste such as plastics, bottles and aluminum products throughout town, including clean-up along the riverbanks, drains, gardens in support of the Sigatoka Town Council.
Following the clean-up campaign, a new action commitment by the local churches was signed between the Sigatoka Town Council, SDA Church and ADRA Fiji.
The agreement confirmed the church and ADRA Fiji’s commitment with the Sigatoka Town Council in support of the SDG 13 to ‘take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.’
The church, which was represented by the general secretary Pastor Sentiki Waqa, agreed to commit to a community clean-up campaign once every six months or upon the request of the Sigatoka Town Council and plant trees, particularly fruit trees, to address carbon emissions and food security.
