IN Fiji, the strength of our communities lies not only in the resources we possess, but in the resilience and compassion of individuals who dedicate their time to serve others. Among these unsung heroes is Liku Tabucakau, whose eight-year journey with the Fiji Red Cross Society (FRCS) is a powerful testament to what it means to serve with purpose.
Liku began her journey as a youth volunteer, driven by a desire to make a difference.
Today, she serves as vice president of the Nalawa Branch, located in Ra Province within Fiji’s Western Division, where her leadership has played a key role in revitalising branch operations, mentoring emerging youth leaders and nurturing a strong culture of volunteerism.
For Liku, volunteering is not just a role—it’s a way of life that uplifts individuals and strengthens entire communities, a commitment that earned her the Fiji Red Cross Volunteer of the Year Award in 2024.
Her commitment was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she led a youth initiative to support single mothers and people living with disabilities. With successful funding, her branch distributed seedlings and provided training to help families establish home gardens.
This initiative went beyond food security—it restored dignity, hope and independence to those most affected by the crisis.
Liku’s service didn’t stop there. When Fiji faced outbreaks of leptospirosis, typhoid, dengue, and diarrhoea (LTDD) in Kadavu and Levuka last year, she was among the 83 Red Cross volunteers deployed to support the awareness response.
Alongside staff members, the team reached 107 communities, 3210 households and over 13,000 individuals with life-saving information.
For Liku, it wasn’t about the numbers—it was about ensuring families were safe and empowered to act early.
Her story is part of a much larger movement.
In 2024 alone, Fiji Red Cross volunteers helped achieve remarkable outcomes aligned with Strategic Goal 2 of the FRCS Strategic Plan 2022–2026: People lead healthy, safe, and dignified lives.
These achievements include:
• 3000 people reached through resilience programming.
• 201 communities supported through Community-Based Surveillance (CBS), engaging nearly 66,000 people and reporting 1152 alerts through 10 CBS Team Leaders.
• 83 volunteers and three staff deployed for LTDD outbreak responses, reaching 107 communities, 3210 households and 13,241 individuals.
• Non-communicable disease prevention initiatives, including health screenings for diabetes and hypertension, psychosocial support and community health visits.
These numbers are more than statistics—they represent lives touched, protected and empowered through the dedication of volunteers like Liku and the unwavering support of our partners.
Each household reached is a family given the tools to stay healthy.
Each alert raised is a community protected from the rapid spread of disease.
Each health screening offers someone a pathway to care.
Fiji Red Cross Society is deeply grateful to partners such as Australian Red Cross, DFAT Australia and many others whose collaboration ensures our reach goes further and our impact runs deeper.
Whether through resources, expertise or consistent support, their role in these achievements cannot be overstated.
Together, we are building stronger, safer and more resilient communities across Fiji’s 333 islands.
As we prepare for the Fiji Red Cross Ball 2025, we invite you to be part of this journey.
This is more than a celebration—it’s an opportunity to partner with us in strengthening health programs that respond to outbreaks like HIV, leptospirosis, dengue, diarrhoea and typhoid.
When you join us at the Ball, you’re helping keep the spirit of humanity alive.
You’re ensuring that stories like Liku’s continue, and that thousands more families across Fiji can live healthy, safe and dignified lives.
Distribution of First Aid Kits in Kadavu. Picture: FIJI RED CROSS SOCIETY
Health awareness session by the Fiji Red Cross. Picture: FIJI RED CROSS SOCIETY
