An initiative that began with a simple act of sharing food under a bridge is now significantly impacting the lives of some of Suva’s most vulnerable children. Since its inception in 2023, the Seek to Save Ministry has taken in around 20 children from the streets, many of whom grapple with drug addiction. The ministry provides these children with shelter, stability, and a chance for a better future.
Youth representative Elia Berabi emphasized that their approach transcends mere awareness campaigns, advocating for a hands-on method of engagement. Speaking at the National Talanoa Session on Responding to Illicit Drugs in Lami, Berabi recounted the circumstances that ignited the mission. He and his team discovered children sleeping near the Suva Fish Market, huddled together under a bridge without shirts to keep warm.
Initially, the children’s response was one of fear, suspecting the team of being police officers. Berabi reassured them by offering food and the chance to have a conversation, which ultimately led to him taking several of them under his care in Colo-i-Suva, even in the absence of financial stability.
Many of the children come from broken homes, with one boy candidly sharing how he was expelled by his stepfather for simply asking for food. “At home, when I said I wanted to eat at least a loaf of bread, my stepfather would kick me out,” he recalled. “On the streets, almost 12 of us can share one loaf of bread.” Berabi believes that the underlying issue driving children onto the streets is a profound lack of love and belonging.
To foster sustainability and opportunities for these children, the ministry has launched an agriculture project. What began with five hectares earmarked for taro planting has grown to 30 hectares in Colo-i-Suva, now featuring 35,000 dalo crops and secured market access. “Our younger generations need opportunities,” Berabi stated. “When we hand them opportunities, you will see the potential they have.”
Senior Pastor Manasa Kolivuso of the Christian Mission Fellowship International echoed the sentiments of communal responsibility, positing that caring for vulnerable children is a duty that should not be overlooked. “If the Church pushes him away, who else will look after him?” he questioned. “If the vanua doesn’t want him, if the village doesn’t want him, if the family doesn’t want him, and if the church pushes him away, who else will look after him?”
This ongoing initiative demonstrates a hopeful response to urban challenges by fostering community and support for vulnerable children, aiming to create a brighter future for them through love, care, and opportunity.
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