Assistant Children and Social Protection Minister Sashi Kiran is calling on parents and guardians to be vigilant, in the wake of reports that children as young as 10 have been found loitering the streets of Nadi.

She said this while expressing disappointment with parents and guardians not taking responsibility for their children.

“We are calling on to the family members, the Mataqali heads, trying to work with provincial councils to see who these young men and women belong to, like where are the families? We have seen when young men and women have passed on using drugs, both in Lautoka and Nadi, family members come forward to do their burial.”

Kiran is reminding families that drug rehabilitation services are available and encouraging anyone in need of help to reach out.

Currently, Saint Giles Hospital is addressing drug addiction cases, while government works on establishing additional centres to assist with this issue.

She also said despite efforts by the Social Protection Ministry to reunite individuals with their families, some continue to return to the streets.

The street dwellers are often observed in distress, lacking proper footwear and clothing, and struggling to maintain basic hygiene.

In a bid to address the issue, both the Nadi Town Council and the government are reassuring the public that they are working closely with relevant stakeholders to address the situation.

Nadi Town Council Special Administrators Chair, Saliceni Raiwalui, says they are working closely with the police to remove people from the streets.

“People have their own homes, most of them have their parents’ homes within the area. We’ve been encouraging them to move back to their homes. The police are doing their best in trying to get them to return home.”

A Nadi resident, speaking on the issue, shared his experience interacting with street dwellers, highlighting their longing for love and attention at home.

Meanwhile, another resident believes the issue stems from alcohol and drug consumption.

Kiran says that, while the underlying cause cannot be confirmed without proper research, it is safe to say that the mentioned factors are part of the problem.

“Why are parents allowing children as young as 10, 11, or even up to 18 to be loitering? Family members need to keep a tab on the young who are vulnerable. We know drugs is everywhere, we know temptation is everywhere. Its important that we keep a tab on our family members to ensure that they don’t get attracted to it.”

Kiran has revealed that the ministry is working on new initiatives to address this issue, and information on this will be available in a few weeks time.