Minister for Information Hon. Lynda Tabuya has called for greater community involvement in early childhood education, highlighting the urgent need to close learning gaps for young children.
Speaking at the Waidamudamu Gospel Community Church dinner fundraiser held in aid of the Waidamudamu Learning Centre in Nausori yesterday (31:10:2025), Minister Tabuya commended the Centre for their decade-long commitment to nurturing young minds.
“We (learning centres) need to be able to look after our children safely,and in a way that gives peace of mind to our parents and caregivers when they need to go out and work. Look after their families, so that they don't have to worry about the children who are at home, or being on programming sites,” Hon. Tabuya urged.
The fundraiser aimed to raise funds for the extension of the hall at Waidamudamu Learning Centre to accommodate the increasing admission.
Drawing from her own experiences with the Kalabu community mobile, Hon. Tabuya shared that children who have gone through such programmes often excel academically and socially.
Further highlighting Fiji’s alarming rates of child abuse and non-communicable diseases, Minister Tabuya underscored the importance of teaching children not only knowledge, but also values such as kindness, healthy living, and self-reliance.
“Our children should be able to tell their parents and family members- this isn't healthy, I'm not going to put it in my body, I want to be healthy.”
Hon. Tabuya reaffirmed her commitment to advocating for child welfare and early education at every level of government.
Completing a decade this year, the Waidamudamu Learning Centre was born out of a dream by Mr. and Mrs. Kalouniviti Snr, who envisioned creating a place where they could not only provide early childhood education but also share the gospel and reach out to the families living in the area.