Poverty is a major issue facing Fiji. Over 250,000 people in Fiji face poverty, and many more live on or just slightly above the poverty line. With such a large population spread out over multiple islands, delivering basic needs to everyone such as health care and education is extremely difficult. Youth unemployment is also another major issue facing Fiji.
Majority of the schools in Fiji are in extremely poor condition. The national poverty in Fiji causes many children to drop out of school right after primary, after that majority do not continue with their education. There is very limited access pre school and kindergarten education. Aside from education, these children are also deprived from participating in extracurricular activities.
Quality of healthcare varies in each island in Fiji. In the outer islands especially health care is not easily accessible and the nearest health care facilities most often include a very expensive sea journey to get to. Lack of fresh water in Fiji is another cause to severe illness. According to the Asian Development Bank only 50% of Fiji has accessibility to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. &5% of urban areas has access to proper sanitation, while only 12% of rural areas has access to proper sanitation.
Youth unemployment is another major issue facing Fiji. Due to the unemployment amongst youths, many of them are beginning to get into crime and drug abuse. Lack of role models and extracurricular activities does not help the fact that they are being lured into drugs and crime.
Majority of the schools in Fiji are in extremely poor condition. The national poverty in Fiji causes many children to drop out of school right after primary, after that majority do not continue with their education. There is very limited access pre school and kindergarten education. Aside from education, these children are also deprived from participating in extracurricular activities.
- A way we can help Fiji's education system is by flying over and helping to build more, sustainable schools and hoping to make them more affordable. Charitable companies like Me to We send over teams of hundreds of students across seas to third world countries to help build schools for their community. We can do the same, by building these schools it will higher the education rate and also in addition help another pressing issue which is unemployment in youth leading to crime and drug abuse. By keeping children more focused on education they will be less tempted to do other things.
Quality of healthcare varies in each island in Fiji. In the outer islands especially health care is not easily accessible and the nearest health care facilities most often include a very expensive sea journey to get to. Lack of fresh water in Fiji is another cause to severe illness. According to the Asian Development Bank only 50% of Fiji has accessibility to safe drinking water and proper sanitation. &5% of urban areas has access to proper sanitation, while only 12% of rural areas has access to proper sanitation.
- A way we can help the Fijian health care system is similar to the way we can help the education system. By sending over a team of volunteers to Fiji to build medical facilities. We as a country could donate whatever medical supplies we have and send them over to Fiji where they can be utilized. The production of more medical facilities could also help another pressing issue which is youth unemployment. At the facilities there could be a reception desk, job waiting to be filled. That is where the unemployed youth may step in and utilize their employment skills.
Youth unemployment is another major issue facing Fiji. Due to the unemployment amongst youths, many of them are beginning to get into crime and drug abuse. Lack of role models and extracurricular activities does not help the fact that they are being lured into drugs and crime.
- A way we can help the youth unemployment in Fiji is to help expand some of their industries, by expanding them there will be more career opportunities for youth to partake in. There for a lower crime and drug abuse rate amongst youth.