The Minister says the center currently cares for 12 boys and now has the capacity to support 12 more. [Photo: FIJI GOVERNMENT FACEBOOK]

A new partnership between The Ministry of Children and the Salvation Army is providing support to vulnerable adolescent boys who have been removed from the streets.

A Memorandum of Agreement has been signed between the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection and the Salvation Army Fiji Division.

Minister Sashi Kiran praised the work of the Kauwai Youth Restoration Services programme, which has been supporting vulnerable boys for the past two years.

Kiran says the need for such a facility was identified three years ago as the number of children living on the streets and struggling with substance abuse continued to grow.

According to Kiran, many of the boys arriving at the center are battling addiction, poor health, and trauma, requiring ongoing medical care, counselling and support.

“We’ll continue to work with Talatala and the team and the Salvation Army to ensure that the staff are well-trained with the work of de-addiction and relapse. Also how to manage the drug withdrawal, the behavior and trauma challenges that the children bring in. But also making sure that the staff also have the support that they need in terms of dealing with the challenges that they do.”

Kiran says the programme has already helped children from Suva, Lautoka, and other parts of the country, with some successfully transitioning into education, employment and more stable living environments.

The Minister says the center currently cares for 12 boys and now has the capacity to support 12 more through additional government funding.

The funding agreement will support the programme over the next two months while the government continues to work with the Salvation Army to strengthen staff training in areas such as addiction recovery, relapse prevention, trauma management and behavioral support.

She acknowledged the efforts of Kauwai Youth Restoration Services Manager Amani Waqetia and his family.

The family has been working with children and the Salvation Army to provide a dedicated space for the programme to operate.

Salvation Army Fiji says the additional funding will allow the organization to expand its services and provide holistic care to more vulnerable youths.

Kauwai Youth Restoration Services Manager Amani Waqetia thanked the government and community partners for their support, saying the challenges facing vulnerable children cannot be addressed by one organization alone.