Lautoka has the highest number of street children in Fiji, according to a recent report submitted by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection to Parliament. The report is part of the Standing Committee on Social Affairs’ evaluation of the ministry’s annual reports for the years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021.
The ministry reported that there are 33 children living on the streets in Lautoka, with six of them currently placed in a children’s home. Most of these children have been reunited with their families or relatives. However, some children remain unprofiled due to their condition when approached, which often leads to intervention from the task force for necessary care or treatment at health facilities.
In Suva, there are six full-time street children identified, along with an additional 11 who come to urban areas during the day from nearby Jittu Estate. Additionally, a family in Nakasi has been noted to shelter between six to ten children.
In Nadi, five children have been profiled and are seen begging during the day, returning home in the late afternoon with a parent or relative. The ministry also highlighted that in Nakasi and Nausori, many children are used for begging but are accompanied by their parents, with some children from nearby areas loitering in town with peers and reportedly sniffing glue.