Volunteers from the Suva Fiji Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints lent a hand at the Fiji Society for the Blind on Saturday 20 October.
The outreach was part of this month's Pacific-wide community service effort by members of the Church across the South Pacific. Many more projects are taking place in Fiji and in other parts of the region today (Saturday 27 October).
The Fiji Society School for the Blind is home to 31 students , 21 of whom board at the school during the year and go to their homes during the school holidays. The students, whose ages range from six years to 19 years, have different forms of blindness and visual impairment so they live at the school’s dormitories and are looked after by two matrons.
The students are taught to read using Braille and are taught to be self-reliant by learning to wash own clothes, iron, cook meals, shave, and to walk using a cane.
Students at the school come from all over Fiji and one from Tonga. Some of the students stay at school from Monday to Friday then go home. While others live in the hostel and go home during the major school holidays.
The president of the Fiji Suva Stake, Kamoe Varea, when finding a service project for his stake to do, approached the school’s administrator, Barabara Farook. He asked what sort of assistance they needed.
They agreed for the members to cut the grass for the school compound, clean their vegetable gardens, wipe their windows, and wash and iron clothes for their boarders.
More than 90 teenagers and adults armed with brush cutters, rakes, brooms, cane knives, blowers and rags met at the school at 9am last Saturday to wash, iron, cut grass, rake and clean.
While the adults and youth were working outside, a number of Latter-day Saint children spent the time in the hostel lounge with the blind students who were reading and doing homework.
Sheldon Takimoana said, “it’s so cool to see them reading with their fingers and we made new friends."
After the clean up all the workers and the students gathered in the school hall to sit and wait for their lunch that was cooked by the stake Relief Society sisters to be delivered .
While waiting the children entertained one another with singing songs. 18 year old Save of the Blind School strummed the guitar while his school mates sang with the visitors.
“It was so nice watching our children mingle and making friends with the blind students,‘” said Sue Datt of Suva.
When lunch arrived everyone enjoyed the rice and curry meal that was provided.
Braille instructor Veronica Narayan, who was a former student of the school who went to do further studies and now teaches at the school, thanked the members of the stake for their service, support and their charity.
”Thank you and your families, and thank you for the lunch. We have a special place in our hearts for you,“ she said.
Panapasa Ratuvukuvuki , a leader in the Suva Stake, thanked everyone for their service and thanked especially the administrator Mrs Barabara Farook and Naomi Tinai “for allowing us to work here today.” He invited all to share with the lunch.
Alma Wright, a Latter-day Saint from Suva, said that "it felt good to help."
Six -year-old Levi, from Tonga, was introduced to some some Tongan youths and young adults from the Church. Levi was happy to know that some of his compatriots also lived in Fiji.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fiji and around the world strive to follow the teachings and example of Jesus Christ, including reaching out in service and love to those around them.