PLEA TO FIJIANS ABROAD FOR HELP IN CYCLONE RELIEF IN FIJI

A HUMBLE PLEA TO FIJIANS ABROAD FOR HELP IN CYCLONE RELIEF IN FIJI

It appears the worst is over but as I write this at 10am Fiji/NZ time on Tuesday 18 December, 2012, we still have to hear the full news from areas in Ba and other parts of Fiji.

But as already categorised, Cyclone Evans appears to be the worst one, in ferocity of wind power, to strike Fiji for last 20 years. Hence, we expect damage to be worst.

HENCE THIS PLEA OF HELP FROM FIJIAN DIASPORA, ESPECIALLY INDO- FIJIANS SETTLED IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES LIKE CANADA, USA, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, UK AND OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD.

Fiji has been nice and kind to us that is our motherland. Our parents were born there and married, we were born, many married, and that place has ashes and graves of our forbears. So we share in Fiji’s bad fortune.

Rakiraki

I request all Fijian/Indian Associations, Sanatan Sabhas, Ramayan Mandalis, Fiji Associations and other associations having Fijians as member – OUR COUNTRY NEEDS OUR HELP.

Please pitch in, get organised and start collecting funds. I know Sacramento, Modesto, Hayward, San Francisco, Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and other cities in North America have well-organised Fijians with Ramayan Mandalis, Sanatans, social and soccer clubs and other organisation, with very big and generous heart for our motherland. There are people from Sangam, Muslim League, Sai organisations and many others who are well geared to help.

In case of North America, because of distance, it is more feasible for organisations to collect funds and either send to your schools, your affected village, locality and people you know and trust or coordinate collection so that a group of people can travel to Fiji and buy item there and distribute personally to those affected. I know there are leaders out there in community, generous and ready to help. I must commend a team from Surrey, Canada that I know visited Fiji and distributed items earlier this year.

Suva

For those in Australia and New Zealand, because of proximity to Fiji and less than a week for ship to reach Fiji, non-perishable food items could be sent, or await what are really and urgently needed. Media organisations can take a lead role in coordinating these efforts. Radio stations and Fiji-oriented newspapers can also help. David Lingham from Canadian Fiji Sun Times at Surrey, Kishore Gokul at Sanatan Sandesh in Sacramento, Jack Reddy at USA Fiji Times in San Francisco, Umesh Chandra at Brisbane Indian Times in Brisbane, Jatish Pooran at Radio Brisvaani in Brisbane, Anoop Kumar at Navtarang in Sydney, Pundit Hemant Vimal Sharma at Fiji Association in Melbourne and other community leaders in Indo- –Fijian Diaspora spread around the world. I Know former Ba Labour MP, Satendra Singh has just started his newspaper Jai Fiji in Calgary, Canada and he will be able to coordinate the efforts in Calgary and Edmonton area.

Vuda, Lautoka

I am sure you will all gear to start raising funds or collecting things to send to Fiji. However, we still have to wait and see. In New Zealand, we have many organisations and competing media which will try to outdo each other in helping out - and that is helpful as well.

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