A charity gaming tournament on June 20 has raised $7000 where close to 80 people sent in donations via Facebook Stars, Tip Page, MPaisa, MyCash, Banks and WorldRemit.

All proceedings would go to the charity organisation Operation Grace.

Taniela Qalilawa was approached by one of his Fijian gaming colleagues Jotame Tavo who resides in Australia to organise a charity tournament through the popular PUBG game.

Mr Qalilawa said Mr Tavo had already been following the immense work Operation Grace had been doing and when he shared the idea, they decided to follow Operation Grace as they were not funded and used their own money to finance that initiative.

“Since I have close to 75K followers on my Facebook Gaming Page, it was an opportunity we had to take. My followers also consist of Fijians living abroad and hundreds of Pacific Islanders who have become friends,” he said.

Mr Qalilawa a Fiji National University staff said Fijian players abroad were always asking about the situation in Fiji.

He said this was not the first time the local and overseas Fiji gaming community had come together.

“We organise competitions almost on a weekly basis with prize money. This helps in two ways; It keeps people at home, stopping the spread of the virus, help save lives, and Prize money comes back to Fiji to help gamers who are struggling with day-to-day expenses,” he said.

Grace Operations staff Ela Volau said Operation Grace was formed in April this year and Mr Qalilawa and Mr Tave’s initiative brought a new perspective on gaming.

She thanked the Fiji gaming community for the assistance.

“Operation Grace is a group of like-minded individuals who sponsor care packs of essential food items to families whose sole breadwinners have lost their livelihood due to the pandemic. We do not have a location but operate mostly out of my home in Makoi,” she said.

For PUBG fanatics Mr Qalilawa and Mr Tavo can be spotted by the in-game names “DanFiji” and “DAC-SuvaBaby”.

 Feedback: salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj