Reverend Semisi Turagavou, the President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, is calling on parents to acknowledge and fulfill their responsibilities. A recent report from the Ministry of Women and Social Protection reveals that child neglect is prevalent, with 76 percent of abused and neglected children coming from Christian households, 75 percent of which belong to the iTaukei community.
Reverend Turagavou expressed concern about the negative implications of this statistic on the community. He stated, “We acknowledge the problem and will not shy away from it. We take full responsibility as social issues within homes persist despite numerous awareness campaigns.”
To combat these social issues, the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma is considering scaling back some church programs, as Reverend Turagavou highlighted that these activities often take away from family time, which has been a concern for many within the church community.
He pointed out that when families spend excessive time on church-related activities, it can adversely affect their relationships, emphasizing the need to strengthen family units to prevent negative outcomes for children. “We will work with the congregation to reinforce family bonds to help resolve these issues,” he stated.