Twenty families in Waivedio Settlement in Navua received a surprise visit from a social worker earlier this week.

Raymond Mukesh Reddy, 63, who has been a Justice of Peace for seven years, donated clothes to families who reside in the settle­ment.

Mr Reddy said the resi­dents were affected by Tropical Cyclone Josie and Keni earlier this year and families were still strug­gling to get their lives back to normal.

He said the decision to help out was made in a conver­sation with a close friend from Sacramento America; Satish Singh.

“During one of our cov­ersations after the cyclone we felt for these people,” Mr Mukesh said.

“People living in this set­tlement are affected when there’s heavy rain and the water level rises because they live near the river.”

Mr Reddy said three boxes of clothes were sent from the United States of Amer­ica and distributed among families.

Mr Reddy is a social work­er and a volunteer, who has been visiting families around the greater Navua area for the past seven years.

He said he volunteered as a social worker after he re­tired from the Fiji Police Force in 2010.

Mr Reddy said he had pas­sion as a volunteer because of his career in the Police force when he had been a sergeant and the coordina­tor for Community Policing in Nabua.

“The work is still in my heart,” he said.

“I have been able to assist widows, single mothers and youth, especially when it comes to Social Welfare ap­plications and other docu­ments that they need.”

He said his work felt easy because of his past experi­ence.

“I have attended meetings in Namosi, Serua, villages and settlement meetings to help assist both iTaukei and Indo-Fijians,” Mr Reddy said.

“The major challenge I face is transportation be­cause I usually travel on my own expenses.

“I have knowledge and skills. I want to share them and want to carry on this work to help the commu­nity, help youths stay away from criminal activities and to encourage them to attend church work.”

Edited by Percy Kean

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