The Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has noted a significant expansion in the number of Fijian volunteers being sent to other Pacific countries to assist with their development.

He said Fiji would like to place volunteers in every part of the Pacific within the next three to five years. 

The Prime Minister made the comments today when he presented airline tickets to six retired teachers who are due to leave our shores later this month to work in Nauru under the Fiji Volunteer Service (FVS). 

There are already 12 Fijians serving in the Republic or Marshall Islands under the FVS and additional interest has been registered from Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. 

The Prime Minister said that Fiji was committed to assisting its Pacific Islands neighbours with extra personnel to complement the efforts of their own people working in social and economic development.

“Fiji has sufficient trained personnel for its own needs and proven capacity in such fields as education, public administration, disaster management, peacekeeping, social programs and environmental protection,” PM Bainimarama said.

“We would like to share these skills and assist our Pacific Island neighbours as part our “Engaging with the Pacific” program.

“Fiji is committed to assisting those who request our help. After all, we are an integral part of the Pacific with strong links to our neighbours in the areas of trade, investment, education, transportation and people-to-people relationships”

The Prime Minister encouraged the volunteer teachers leaving for Nauru to be good ambassadors for Fiji and do everything they could to help the Nauruan people with their education needs.

The Fiji Volunteer Service scheme was launched in February last year and is one of the four components of the National Employment Decree designed to boost employment opportunities for young people, professionals and retirees. 

-ENDS-