Reverend Semisi Turagavou, the President of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, is calling on parents to acknowledge and embrace their responsibilities. He highlighted the prevalent issue of child neglect, referencing a report from the Ministry of Women and Social Protection which reveals that 76 percent of children facing abuse and neglect come from Christian households, with 75 percent of those being iTaukei.
Reverend Turagavou expressed concern over this significant representation from Christian families, stating that it casts a negative light on the community. “We recognize the issue and are not going to shy away from it,” he remarked, stressing the importance of accountability as social challenges within families continue despite numerous awareness initiatives.
In an effort to combat these issues, the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma is contemplating the reduction of certain church programs. The Reverend pointed out that some activities might be interfering with valuable family time, a concern echoed by many church members. He noted that excessive engagement in church-related activities can impede family interactions and underscored the necessity of reinforcing family structures to mitigate adverse impacts on children.
“We will collaborate with our congregation to strengthen family ties, aiming to address these challenges,” he affirmed.