iTaukei Children Top Numbers At Saint Tabitha Home

Saint Tabitha Home Matron in Charge Abbess Melani said the majority of children in the home are iTaukei children who come from broken families. The Home is located in Saweni, Lautoka.

“The kids in the parish, we actually bring them in because they come from very poor and broken families so we help them with their education as 90 per cent of them are iTaukei coming from families with eight to 11 children,” she said.

“There are 29 children in the home and 20 are iTaukei. This number also includes the children under social welfare, which we cannot comment on, but this is a boys’ home and girls stay in the monastery.”

Abbess Melani said the Home also assisted low income earning families.

“The ones staying in the parish, they’re families check on them as some come from Savusavu and they live in the interior and can’t afford to go to school or have to walk to school in rainy weather conditions,” she said.

She also said now there were cases of children excelling academically.

“It’s like they are in their own homes so they don’t have any emotional issues when they come in and we have one of our boys who is going to New Zealand and it is hard for us to leave him because we are a family,” she said

“Three of our boys from the parish in Greece right now also furthering their studies.”

Abbess Melani said the Home received financial assistance from Government for education.

“We hope to extend in another five years if we have enough donations because the capacity is growing and we would like to assist children from all areas even from outer islands” she said.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

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