Uma Prasad (not her real name) found a new family in Empower Pacific a year ago. She says that interacting with counsellors and social workers for the past year made a lot of difference in her life and helped her mental health.
Ms Prasad, 54, is a widow who had her right leg amputated from the knee two years ago because of diabetes. She lives in Lautoka. “I had a TV before and I saw the Empower Pacific advertisement about the helpline number 5626 for counselling or related matters,” Ms Prasad said.
“I also heard the helpline advertisements on radio. I called the number one year ago and discussed my problems. Since then, I’ve been calling Empower Pacific whenever I need assistance and I’m being supplied with adult diapers,” she said.
Ms Prasad received food relief packs from Empower Pacific during the second wave of COVID-19 and a food voucher last Christmas. Empower Pacific distributed food vouchers for Christmas last year to its clients, courtesy of the Latter Day Saints Church (LDS Charities).
Apart from Ms Prasad, other people who qualified for food assistance were also given food voucher assistance. Ms Prasad’s parents, her only sibling, and her husband passed away several years ago.
She has two sons and a daughter, all of whom are married and living on their own but they do call in to check on her and support her in whichever way they can. “Apart from my children, I don’t have any other family member whom I can talk to or share my problems with.
“I’ve found a new family in Empower Pacific and there has been a difference in my life since I’ve been in touch with you people through 5626.
“If I have some problems and I want to talk to someone about it, I know that I only have to call Empower Pacific. I know that I always have someone there for me.”
There are others like Ms Prasad who have become regular callers on Empower Pacific’s counselling helpline.
With an average of more than 20 calls received daily on its 24/7 helpline, dedicated counsellors and social workers continue to provide essential Mental Health and Psychosocial support as needed.
What is Empower Pacific?
The Family Support and Education Group was registered in September 1994 and started as a voluntary organisation in Lautoka. It developed into a professional service delivery organisation across Fiji and Pacific Island countries.
Growth was such that the then Board decided in April 2008 to change its name to Pacific Counselling & Social Services. Another name change happened in September 2012 when Pacific Counselling & Social Services became Empower Pacific.
Despite the name changes, Empower Pacific’s task has always been to empower people, families and communities of the Pacific to take control of their own situation. In particular, it assists the most vulnerable in their search for psychological and emotional health, and well-being.
Empower Pacific seeks to enhance the full potential of communities by working in partnership with Government ministries and other community agencies to ensure it offers a variety of programs aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of its clients as well as facilitating opportunities for learning and personal growth.
Tollfree Counselling Helpline 5626
The toll free 24/7 counselling helpline 5626 was launched on March 23, 2020 during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic when Lautoka went under lockdown.
The authorities advised that the most effective means of being with others and for safety precautions was maintaining physical distancing ( two metres), as some places were locked down and people were in home quarantine.
Providing face to face mental health and psychosocial support was a challenge so one way of resolving it while continuing to extend a helping hand, was for counsellors to attend to clients via phone, Messenger and Viber.
Since the sponsored advertisements in the radio, television and print media, individuals who were COVID-19 positive and others with various issues were able to call the counselling helpline and confidentially share the issues and struggles they faced.
The toll-free counselling helpline number 5626 is proudly sponsored by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (NZMFAT).
With COVID-19 cases still being recorded in the country, Empower Pacific continues to provide psycho-social support face-to-face and virtually, to people who reach out on the 24/7 helpline.
Empower Pacific also continues to receive calls for issues such as stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and gender-based violence.
In partnership with the Ministry of Health & Medical Services, it was able to attend to COVID-19 positive cases in hospitals and also those on home isolation via telephone.
Branches are located at Lautoka Hospital, Labasa and the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.
The sub-divisional hospital locations include Vunisea in Kadavu, Tavua, Nadi and Nausori.
Each branch has a team of qualified counsellors and social workers who attend to the needs/various issues of people referred by doctors, community referrals, walk-ins and individuals who call the helpline for support.
• AVINESH GOPAL is the Media and Communications Officer for Empower Pacific. The information and ideas in this article are his and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.
