SUVA – Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka led a team from the Ministry’s senior management to a meeting with senior executives of the Methodist Church in Fiji to discuss ways they could work together to better assist people in rural and maritime communities across Fiji.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the Ministry to brief the Methodist Church about its core functions and assistance available to be accessed by the general public through the various capital programmes of the Ministry.

In addressing the forum today, Hon. Ditoka acknowledged the Methodist Church for the work they have been doing over the years to assist the Government and pleaded with the church leaders to work with the Ministry to not only help improve the lives of those living in rural and maritime areas but in also addressing social issues prevalent in the community today. 

Minister Ditoka also assured the Church that the Ministry would work towards economically empowering those in remote rural and maritime communities to help address the issue of rural-to-urban drift.

In his remarks during the meeting, Reverend Vunisuwai shared that the Church faced the same challenge as the Ministry with the migration of people from rural to urban centres.

He said the Church would conduct in-service training for its church leaders to better prepare them better to deal with social issues amongst church members, especially in rural and maritime communities.

Reverend Vunisuwai also acknowledged the move by the Ministry to include farm mechanization in its upcoming programmes, saying this would greatly help rural farmers.

The Methodist Church President also assured Government that the Church was ready to assist in the area of economic sustainability, adding that this was a good time for the Church and Government to work together for the betterment of the people.

The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. We coordinate and implement the Fiji Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural sector. We also spearhead disaster risk reduction initiatives at national and sub-national level including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We have offices for each of Fiji’s 14 provinces including Rotuma, leading the Fiji Government’s rural development and disaster risk management operations.

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