The Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Hon. Lynda Tabuya, explored the innovative Care Blocks of Bogota, Colombia, as part of her mission to advance social protection for caregivers in Fiji.
Minister Tabuya is currently in Colombia to meet with Ministers of Children from around the world and reaffirm Fiji’s commitment to ending violence against children.
Her visit to the Care Blocks holds particular significance, as it directly addresses one of the most pressing social issues in Fiji – supporting the unsung heroes who care for children, the elderly, and people living with disabilities, often without adequate resources or support systems.
“The Care Blocks in Bogota represent a holistic approach to caregiving that recognises and alleviates the heavy burdens on caregivers,” said Minister Tabuya.
“In Fiji, we know that this type of social protection is desperately needed, and I’m eager to bring back these best practices to strengthen the support systems for caregivers in our communities.”
Care Blocks are designed to redistribute and reduce the caregiving burden by offering accessible services that promote the wellbeing of caregivers.
By integrating caregiving, education, healthcare, wellbeing, and income-generation opportunities within the same community, Care Blocks enable caregivers to focus on their own health or wellbeing and financial stability while ensuring their loved ones receive the care they need.
These initiatives have been shown to improve caregivers’ psychosocial health, enhance their economic mobility, and increase their participation in the community.
During her visit, Minister Tabuya witnessed firsthand how caregivers in Bogota are supported through a range of services, including access to university education while their children are cared for, health services, and even cable cars that make commuting easier for caregivers who work across the city.
“I’ve always wanted to see how this is done,” Minister Tabuya remarked.
“Given that we are a communal society in Fiji, community cohesion is at the heart of our culture. I look forward to returning home and discussing with our communities how we can do more to support our caregivers.”
The Minister expressed her gratitude to the city of Bogota and the Early Childhood Development Action Networks for hosting her visit and providing invaluable insights into the Care Block model.