26 May 2008

Save the Children helps families in Fiji Vatakoula area

7:45 pm on 26 May 2008

Save the Children in Fiji says it will provide 1300 school children in Vatukoula with lunches and money for bus tickets.

Many former Vatukoula gold mine workers are still without jobs and are struggling to meet the needs of their families..

The NGO's chief executive officer, Chandra Shekhar, says these families are too poor to buy even the basics for their children.

Mr Shekhar says it will help the 1300 children through a five week programme.

"We have designed a new project where we are going to provide food for lunches and bus fares for the students who have to travel to the schools on a daily basis. We are coordinating this through the principals of the schools."

Chandra Shekhar says Save the Children is working with other agencies, including the interim government, to find a long-term solution for these families.