Fiji: Fighting crime with dignity
What was wrong with this picture, I wondered. The scene I was looking at did not match the words I was hearing. "That street is a hotbed for crime. It is very dangerous unless we carefully patrol it at night," a local Fijian leader told me. "It is typical of the need in my country."
Crossroads Shipment being delivered in Fiji
Following her gaze, I saw a picture one could have written up in a tourist brochure. Swaying palms moved lazily against an azure sky. Tattooed men, in national skirts, laughingly strummed their guitars. When I rose to leave, one respectfully offered to carry my bags. He wasn’t looking for a tip. It was a natural expression of respect in this gentle culture.
"How," I asked, bewildered, "could this place be even remotely dangerous?"
"Unemployment", she replied. "It runs at approx 40% in Fiji. It drives people to desperation. At night, we have had to strengthen law enforcement to control the criminal element at work on these streets." Reduced tourist dollars and restricted market access have made it difficult for enough Fijians to find employment. A UNDP/Government poverty study revealed that nearly every fourth household was living under the poverty line.
"I can control these streets with sufficient men in uniform," my host concluded, "but that’s not enough. People are resorting to crime because they can’t find employment. We need to offer them opportunities to work. More fundamentally, we need to train these people with the necessary skills to use those opportunities. We need help."
Since that request, Crossroads has worked to support job creation projects in this country. A typical example is a training institute in Labasa that is set on breaking the poverty cycle. It has been strategically set up in a remote area of Fiji, away from the regions where tourist dollars and markets provide jobs.
They train students in business practice and teach them specific skills for which there is market demand. They are designed for practicality, whether installing toilets for homes without a bathroom or the laying of concrete surface for those living on dirt floors. Theirs is a holistic approach. As well as training the mind and hands, they target the loss of confidence many struggle with after years of joblessness.
"The things you sent us shot us forward 10 years," the centre’s spokesperson recounted. "Tools, building supplies, toilets, basins, chairs, desks, fridges, washing machines, linen, household equipment, computers, air conditioners etc…. There was so much and it just kept coming out of the container."
"These goods are of the highest quality, far better than what we can even buy in Fiji," she concluded, adding, "even if we could buy them here, the reality is that we couldn’t afford to. It was as if all our Christmasses had come at once."
There can be no better gift than one that equips a person not only with support for today, but a sustainable way forward for tomorrow.
Our hope, long term, is that the streets of Fiji will be made safe again not just because of the strong arm of the law, but because its people can move into a more dignified way of life.
