Fiji Corrections takes Yellow Ribbon Project to Bua

The Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) will take its flagship reintegration programme to Nabouwalu in Bua for the first time this month.

On March 27–28, communities, leaders, and government officials will come together to support ex-offenders and promote rehabilitation. A community walk on March 28 will unite nearly 3,000 participants in this effort.

The Yellow Ribbon Project, a community-based programme that helps released prisoners rebuild their lives, will host a symposium in Nabouwalu on March 27–28.

The event is expected to bring together villages, government officials, and community leaders from across Bua Province.

Acting Commissioner Auta Moceisuva said the initiative was a deliberate and proactive measure.

"We recognise the growing vulnerability of the people and becoming a hub for unwanted activities due to its isolation and uninhabited space," he said.

Launched in Fiji in 2008 and modelled on a similar programme in Singapore, the Yellow Ribbon Project encourages communities to take responsibility for welcoming and supporting ex-offenders returning home, giving them a genuine second chance instead of turning them away.

Following the symposium, the FCS plans to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bua Province, a formal agreement committing community leaders to supporting inmates after their release.

"We know that there is somebody out there who will take over the responsibility of guiding, coaching, providing support to inmates as they are released," Mr Moceisuva said.

A community walk is also planned for March 28, with nearly 3,000 participants expected from across the province. Last year's event in Nausori drew around 5,000 people.

Now in its 19th year, the Yellow Ribbon Project remains FCS’s most visible initiative to remind Fijians that rehabilitation is a shared community effort.

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