Reverend Semisi Turagavou, the President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, has called on parents to take their responsibilities seriously amidst growing worries about child neglect.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection, 76 percent of cases involving abused and neglected children in Fiji originate from Christian households. The report further indicates that 75 percent of these affected children are iTaukei. Reverend Turagavou expressed concern that the high prevalence of such cases within Christian families reflects poorly on the community.
“We recognize that this is a problem, and we will confront it,” he stated. “We accept full responsibility as social issues in homes continue to escalate despite numerous awareness initiatives.”
To tackle these pressing issues impacting families and children, the church is considering scaling back some programs offered by its church circuits. Reverend Turagavou explained that certain church activities were taking away valuable time from families, an issue that has caused concern among many members.
He noted that many congregants are spending too much time engaged in church-related activities, which detracts from family interactions. “We aim to fortify the family unit, as that is where our efforts should begin. If we don’t, the adverse effects will ultimately affect the children,” he remarked.
Reverend Turagavou added, “We will collaborate with the congregation to strengthen family connections, which will help in addressing these concerns.”