A major multi-agency initiative has been launched to rescue and rehabilitate young Fijian men living on the streets of Lautoka, following direct intervention by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs.
The Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Sashi Kiran said the demographic consisted predominantly of young men aged between 15 and 25.
A recent census conducted by social teams identified 18 men were unsheltered in the city.
Of these, 16 are from Ba Province, one from Lau Province, and one from Cakaudrove Province.
“We did not know what to do about them, so we approached iTaukei Affairs,” Ms Kiran said.
On Thursday, the Director of Operations for iTaukei Affairs joined social workers in Lautoka to coordinate local provincial networks.
Under the strategy, the Roko Tui Ba (provincial head) will take direct responsibility for supervising the welfare of the men from the Ba region.
Ms Kiran said authorities were finding that establishing true identities was a significant challenge.
“We need a systematic way of being able to reach out to others. We are working through iTaukei Affairs to see how they can be taken back into the villages, and whether they are actually from the places they claim.”
Ms Kiran said the tracking process revealed discrepancies between the stories of the young men and official records.
“For example, four individuals identified themselves as being from Yasawa, but their turaga ni koro (village headman) did not recognise them when we reached out.
“So, we must check where they are from via their Vola ni Kawa Bula to see whether they can be properly reintegrated, and what exact assistance they require.”
She said one case involved a man from Namosi who travelled to the city looking for work, became destitute, but had since successfully returned home.
In another case, a young man holding a Level Three hospitality certificate was found on the streets after losing a resort job.
“These young people are being given the opportunity to return to the workforce, and quite a few corporate partners are willing to assist them,” Ms Kiran said.
The outreach teams also encountered families and individuals attempting to make a living off the sea.
In one instance, a young woman with two small children were found living in a tent on the shoreline.
She told officials she owned a fishing boat and was surviving on her catch. After being advised that raising children in a tent on the street was unacceptable, she chose to return to her village home.
Ms Kiran said shelter itself was not the core problem for most as they all belonged somewhere, however, officials acknowledged that substance abuse and addiction remained a heavy contributing factor for a core group of rough sleepers.
To address the root causes, the ministry is mobilising a coalition including the Police, iTaukei Affairs, the District Office, and the Lautoka City Council.
