The Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Protection is advocating to open the first ever child wellbeing center in Fiji, which will incorporate a portion of it for drug rehabilitation for children.

Speaking to FBC News, Lynda Tabuya highlights that most of the street kids are addicted to some form of drug, but they are on the streets because their families don’t know what to do with them.

Tabuya is hoping that the center will be able to rehabilitate our children as well as integrate them back into their families and society.

“So we’re looking at a year-long program, so it’s not just for those number of weeks where they have been rehabilitated but the budget has now provided for the renovation of the center.”

The Minister thanked the Methodist Church for coming on board to sign an MOU with the ministry to give the center, which is the Vunirewa Bible School in Serua to cater for the proposed child wellbeing center.

Echoing similar sentiments, Older Persons Unit welfare officer Nitika Chand emphasizes that the Ministry is also working on introducing a new department, which is the Department of Children.

“We are mandated to address the vital cohorts of society. This is individuals, families, children, persons with disabilities, and older persons, and this is through our existing social protection schemes.”

The Minister is hoping that the Child Wellbeing Center will provide some relief for the vulnerable children, who don’t have the capacity to make decisions for themselves, and provide a pathway to a brighter future.