Fiji

Paragraphs that mention volunteering

Paragraph 1, page 29

Tropical Cyclone Ana: Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2018-2030 recognizes the importance of disaster risk reduction as a cross-cutting issue. The policy emphasizes the involvement of community-based and volunteer organizations and highlights the significance of cultivating community volunteering to prevent future threats and enhance community resilience.

Paragraph 2, page 30

Fiji Red Cross Society volunteers respond to TC Yasa TC Yasa, a category 5 cyclone, made landfall in Fiji on December 17, 2020, followed by TC Ana on January 30, 2021. The following day, on January 31, TC Bina emerged, bringing additional rainfall. In response to the extensive damage in the northern regions, Fiji Red Cross provided assistance to 40,523 individuals. Among the aid provided, 13,327 people received shelter support, 40,523 people were reached through health activities, and 11,973 people were reached with both water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, as well as
protection, gender, and inclusion activities. The WASH activities included the distribution of hygiene kits, repairs of toilet facilities, repair of water systems, and distribution of water tanks and containers. Additionally, the society piloted a cash voucher assistance program, distributing FJD 200 cash grants to 309 households and FJD 100 cash grants to 290 households. Throughout this response, a total of 175 volunteers and 22 staff members were mobilized to support the affected areas.
 

Paragraph 3, page 62

Fiji engages in bilateral and multilateral cooperation with its regional partners, leveraging its hub status, and continues to pursue various South-South and Triangular initiatives. One example is the Fiji Volunteer Scheme (FVS), through which medical and education experts support host countries in the region, contributing to institutional and nation building. Fiji’s cooperation has expanded to include areas such as security, disaster response, and humanitarian support. This is evident in the current deployment of Fiji officials in Vanuatu, providing rapid assistance and rehabilitation support following the recent Category 4 Cyclones Kevin and Lucy. 
 

Paragraph 4, page 134

The Role of Volunteers:

The Ministry of Health & Medical Services requested an increase in the number of volunteers across all vaccination sites as a surge response to vaccinate as many people as possible, with a target of 80% of the target population fully vaccinated by November 1st, 2021.
By mobilizing volunteers in support of the Governement of Fiji’s vaccination campaign, the partnership between the government and CSOs has been strengthened in the fight against COVID-19. With funding support from the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS), International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Reproductive Family Health Association of Fiji (RFHAF), and Medical Services Pacific (MSP) were able to mobilize volunteers to reinforce the government’s efforts in vaccinating the population of Fiji, contributing to a rapid increase in vaccination rates in the second half of 2021. RFHAF and MSP recruited and mobilized 122 volunteers as part of the COVID-19 Phase I & II project. These volunteers underwent training with Ministry of Health staff on online and offline registration and verification of data registration. Fiji recorded 99% of its target population fully vaccinated, and this achievement was made possible with the assistance of MSP and RFHAF volunteers who were part of the COVID-19 vaccination program. The volunteers were involved in various activities including vaccination registration, data verification, scribing and tallying of data, verifying swab test data, meeting and greeting clients, providing one-to-one awareness on the vaccine, updating vaccination cards, participating in mobile outreach, assisting with issues of isolation for positive cases at the Emergency Operation Center in Sigatoka, collecting information from the RDT team, cleaning and sorting COVID-19/Leptospirosis/Measles raw data, updating the COVID-19 database results, importing cleaned data into the MoHMS database system, follow-up and sorting of imported COVID-19 negative results, providing weekly summaries of test results, assisting in business house vaccinations, and assisting in the documentation of vaccination certificates. MSP and RFHAF volunteers were stationed at various Health Centres within the Central, Western, and Northern Divisions, as well as command centers in Sigatoka and Tamavua. During their engagement in the program, volunteers were empowered to take ownership of their livelihoods and were upskilled, which enabled them to secure employment within the health sector and other government departments. Between September and October, MSP bid farewell to 5 volunteers, and RFHAF bid farewell to 7 volunteers as they secured full-time employment in different organizations.

 

Paragraph 5, page 142

Citizen Power:
Engaging citizen power is crucial to accelerate progress on SDGs. As evidenced many times before, citizens are often willing to help in times of disaster as volunteers. Many are actively involved in various charities and civil, political, and democratic causes, and also serve as first responders during crises. In a true democracy, like Fiji is becoming, citizens are encouraged and supported to engage in work that benefits their communities and country. Voluntary action, especially at the community level, should be further encouraged, and strong partnerships with volunteers should be formed to leverage local knowledge and expertise. This will ensure more tailored and responsive development interventions for those who need them the most, as well as foster shared social responsibility.

Paragraphs that mention the integration of volunteering into development plans, policies and strategies

Paragraph 1, page 29

Tropical Cyclone Ana: Fiji’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2018-2030 recognizes the importance of disaster risk reduction as a cross-cutting issue. The policy emphasizes the involvement of community-based and volunteer organizations and highlights the significance of cultivating community volunteering to prevent future threats and enhance community resilience.