Changing the Culture of Violence in Fiji

Our youth outreach efforts with The Virtues Project are making great strides! Peer educators continue visiting communities in Fiji to share the Virtues Project's Five Strategies and their stories.

Our youth visited 60 households and met with 130 individuals in Suva, Lautoka, Yasawa, Nadi, and Nausori. These visits gathered information about these communities' common issues and how stakeholders can best provide support.  Along with unemployment and mental health issues, one of the most alarming common challenges is illicit drug use.  Youth are ending up in the emergency room at the Public Hospital or, more distressing still, the mental hospital in Suva. Additionally, HIV cases are on the rise in Fiji, and teenagers are at the highest risk due to sharing of needles. Our peer educators have been demonstrating how The Virtues Project can help people struggling with these issues. They explained the virtues and showed how to pick a virtue. Through these interactions, people in these communities have requested introductory Virtue training to learn more about the Five Strategies. 

Another issue of concern is truancy. Community members shared that children as young as six refuse to attend school or drop out due to a lack of interest and engagement in school. Teachers are looking to provide after-school activities aligned with subjects such as math and language to capture the children's interest. These activities would emphasize The Virtues for students and their families.

At the moment, Virtues Project Fiji's primary concern is increasing the number of peer educators. Virtues Project Fiji plans to offer a Virtues Project Facilitator Training, identifying 25 youth who will then share The Virtues Project workshops in their respective areas. This way, we will reach more island residents through The Virtues Project's message of hope. We thank you for your continued support of our work.  Your contributions will help make this training a reality.