HIS EXCELLENCY MAJOR-GENERAL (RET'D) JIOJI KONROTE ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF THE 2021 OUR CONSTITUTION CHALLENGE

Bula Vinaka.
 
Thank you to the students from all corners of Fiji who joined this year’s Our Constitution Challenge. While we work hard to get you back into your classrooms, we’re proud to see you use your time at home to share your knowledge and talents with your nation on this Constitution Day.
 
Our Fijian Constitution is one of the most progressive in the world. Like most other constitutions, it enshrines political and civil rights, such as the right to vote and the right of freedom of speech. But our Fijian Constitution goes further, enshrining a vast array of socioeconomic rights that ensure equality of opportunity in our economy.
 
Ahead of this eighth anniversary of our Fijian Constitution, we asked students to look at one of those socioeconomic rights –– the right to social protection schemes. With our economy battered by the global pandemic, my government’s commitment to uphold that sacred right has been tested by a time of serious need across Fiji. And we are meeting that challenge with historic levels of support to the Fijian people.
 
Free education, subsidised water, electricity and transportation to school, and, soon, free sanitary pads for female students. The poverty benefit scheme, social pension scheme, disability allowance, the child protection allowances, the food voucher programme for rural pregnant women, and subsidised bus fares for the elderly and those living with disabilities, and the unemployment benefits, including for those in the informal sector, food rations, and the subsidised treatment at private general practitioner clinics provided by government all form a social safety net protects those most vulnerable in Fijian society. And we received many wonderful submissions from the young people of Fiji telling us how these programmes have changed lives for the better.
 
We saw so much talent that it was hard to pick a select few entries above the rest. But after serious deliberation by our judging panel, I am proud to announce our winners for the video and essay competition.
 
For the video competition,
- Our winner, for the age category 5 to 12 is Loraine Shekinah Nasaroa, age 9, from St Teresa's Primary School in Ba.

- For the age category 13 to 18, we have two winners who both impressed our judges. They are, Saakshi Ashlyne Goundar, age 17, from Natabua High School in Lautoka and George Nasavuilagi Telawa, age 18, from Tavua College.

- And our winners in the family category are a duo from Valebasoga Public School in Labasa, Saiyad Hassan and Umaiza Siddiqa.
 
And for the essay competition, we have three national winners.
 
In the category of ages 5 –12, our winner in Hibah Siddiqa from Nadi Muslim Primary School, Year 4.

In the category of ages 13 to 18, our winner is Chrisheeta Kaashvi Kumar, Xavier College, Year 10.

And finally, for the category of ages 19 to 25, our winner is Avinal Bhawik Chand from the University of Fiji.
 
Our winning students will each receive a 500-dollar cash prize. We will be posting the full videos and essays on the Fijian Government Facebook page, I encourage you to give them all a watch.
 
Before you do, I want to end with sharing a lesson from the essay one of our winners, Chrisheeta. In her own words:
 
“The right to Social Security Schemes is a right given to every individual. This right has helped people survive, to support themselves and their families, and it has upheld the dignity of the most vulnerable. My grandparents are living their life, fully supported by the Social Welfare scheme and I am glad that our constitution includes such a right that protects our fellow vulnerable citizens.”
Vinaka vakalevu, Chrisheeta. Thanks to you, and all of the other students who joined this year’s competition, I know that we will remain a caring and compassionate Fiji for generations to come.

God Bless you all.