A Christmas, New Year Sacrifice To Help Victims Of Cyclone Yasa
As people enjoy their Christmas and New Year festivities, let’s no forget our hard working men and women on the frontline providing essential services during this festive season.
These include the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), Police, Corrections officers, doctors, nurses and workers responsible for keeping electricity and water running.
We express our gratitude to those who will be manning the border in the fight against COVID-19.
Today we especially recognise the members of the RFMF who have been deployed to Vanua Levu to help in the rehabilitation after Cyclone Yasa.
When they packed their bags before they left Suva they knew they would be giving up their Christmas and New Year to help victims of Cyclone Yasa.
They would be in there for the long haul that would run into weeks and even months.
As we sit with our families to celebrate Christmas on Friday let’s spare a thought for these officers and their families.
Let’s pray that they and their families are blessed with health and strength, peace and joy.
The officers would be out there in the stricken areas helping victims recover and giving them some Christmas cheer.
They would also be helping rebuild and restore infrastructure and public facilities to rejuvenate the local economy.
Their sacrifice deserves recognition and applause.
These are men and women who sometimes are used as political football by some Opposition politicians trying to impress their electorates.
They are unfairly targeted in the debate over their funding and core role.
Some politicians suggest that the military budget should be slashed and force numbers reduced, forgetting the important role of the members of the disciplined force.
Since Fiji became independent, the RFMF has been part of the search, rescue and rehabilitation during natural disasters. Their scope has been expanded to cover other areas also.
In the battle against COVID-19, RFMF personnel play a crucial role in assisting the medical and health personnel on the frontline.
They feature prominently at quarantine stations and provide security too.
At major sporting fixtures around the country they are there taking temperature readings of spectators as they entered the gates and providing sanitisers.
In the maintenance of our COVID-19 contained -status they are an integral part of our first line of defence against the dreaded killer disease.
In Australia they have had to scramble to contain 30 new COVID-19 cases in New South Wales.
As a result restrictions were introduced yesterday in the Greater Sydney area, including the Central Coast and Blue Mountains to stop the community transmission.
The RFMF troops will be maintaining the same standards that have helped to achieve our current COVID-19 status when they carry out their rehabilitation work in Vanua Levu, Taveuni, Lomaiviti and Lau.
Our prayers and support will help lighten their burden and assist them fulfil their mission.
Feedback: nemani.delaibatiki@fijisun.com.fj
