There is no other organisation in Fiji or the wider South Pacific region like Homes of Hope, says Japanese Am­bassador to Fiji Masahiro Omura.

He said it: “provides shelter, counselling services and skills training for women and children who are victims of or are vulner­able to sexual abuse and violence.”

Mr Omura made the statement during the handover and opening ceremony of up­graded facilities at the Homes of Hope at Wailoku, Suva, yesterday.

The Government of Japan provided fund­ing of $184,720 which was implemented un­der its Grant Assistance for Grassroots Hu­man Security Projects programme.

“The added beauty of this initiative is that while the mothers are learning, their chil­dren are cared for in the Homes of Hope Early Childhood Centre, through basic lit­eracy and numeracy programmes and get­ting familiarised on appropriate social be­haviour,” Mr Omura said.

“The individualistic and holistic approach used by the home is crucial to the empower­ment of women and girls here.

“It helps them gain their confidence, and the skillset required to achieve financial in­dependence.”

While officiating the event Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa said similar senti­ments.

“The Homes of Hope was the only organi­sation of its kind in Fiji and the South Pa­cific that provided long-term care, support, and holistic restoration for girls and young mothers and their children,” she said.

She said the home will lead the fight in the South Pacific to promote freedom from stig­mas and depreciation of women.

“Homes of Hope works with communities to protect girls, helps individuals and com­munities to empower themselves and help them build safety nets,” Ms Vuniwaqa said.

“Most of the girls and mothers who come to the home are young, pregnant, trauma­tised, and lacking direction and it believes that girls can assertively move towards a positive and productive future for them­selves and for their child.”

Edited by Percy Kean

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