A FRIENDSHIP formed while growing up in the Fiji Corrections Service quarters has grown into a charitable commitment to supporting communities and reaching people in need.
For the families behind MISTBOWS Special Friends Charity Foundation, the bond goes back to their childhoods, long before they established an organisation to give back to the community.
The Masisiwa, Talemaitoga and Semese families share strong ties to the Corrections Service, with their grandfathers and fathers having served as officers before retiring, while some of their siblings continue to serve.
One of the foundation’s partners and chief executives, Naomi Talemaitoga, is currently an officer at the Fiji Corrections Service headquarters.
Another chief executive, Frances Masisiwa, the youngest of the partners, is actively involved in social work and community engagements.
Foundation director Kiti Semese said their shared upbringing had helped shape the friendship and purpose behind the organisation.
“We are related and also we are daughters of retired wardens,” Ms Semese said.
The friends formally established MISTBOWS in 2017 after securing employment and deciding to work together to support people facing hardship.
The name MISTBOWS is formed from the initials of their three family surnames and inspired by a rare weather phenomenon known as a mistbow, created when sunlight passes through microscopic water droplets.
Ms Semese said the name reflected the group’s intention to become ‘a little ray of sunshine’ in the lives of others.
The foundation’s outreach includes visiting homes, assisting individuals and families, and reaching out to people living on the streets.
“We go around to homes, we reach out to the streets, we visit individuals, family level, with whatever we can do.”
The organisation also promotes healthy living and awareness of non-communicable diseases and cancer, particularly among communities affected by poverty.
Among its future ambitions are building two homes for orphans and elderly people, as well as a care facility for retired wardens who have lost their spouses to illness.
The self-funded organisation has 20 volunteers and hopes to eventually provide them with sustainable income opportunities. It has received support from family members in Fiji and overseas, as well as individuals who have recognised its work.
As part of its Pinktober campaign, the foundation visited the Fiji Women’s Corrections Centre for the first time this week, giving women there an opportunity to learn about cancer awareness.
Ms Semese said the initiative was about ensuring women at the centre were not overlooked during health awareness campaigns.
“We felt it was important to reach out to these women as well because they are part of our community.”
What began as a childhood friendship among three families has grown into a shared purpose, with members determined to continue reaching out to others and making a difference.
