{"id":3054,"date":"2022-03-16T23:49:52","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T23:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/?p=3054"},"modified":"2022-03-16T23:49:54","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T23:49:54","slug":"case-study-%e2%94%82-kiniviliame-rewa-province-in-fiji","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/case-study-%e2%94%82-kiniviliame-rewa-province-in-fiji\/","title":{"rendered":"Case Study \u2502 Kiniviliame, Rewa Province in Fiji"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kiniviliame is a single dad to five children, all under 12. They live together in a single room in a public housing block on the outskirts of Suva, Fiji\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the pandemic, Kiniviliame worked as a bartender. \u201cWhen Covid-19 hit, we had to close down the nightclub,\u201d he says. \u201cUp until today there is nowhere else, and I am still looking for work,\u201d he explains. \u201cI have dropped my application everywhere, but no one has approved it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressures of the pandemic also took their toll at home. Becoming emotional, Kiniviliame says, \u201cWhen I became unemployed, that\u2019s when my family broke up.\u201d The single dad has found it increasingly difficult to provide for his children since. \u201cThe struggle that we face every day is that we have no food at home,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Caption: Kiniviliame is grateful that Save the Children is providing cash transfers to single parent families like his, who have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by Covid-19. Photo: Katharina Glynne\/Save the Children<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Save the Children is providing cash transfers to Fijian communities who have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by Covid-19. The team use mobile money to provide three monthly payments of $200 FJD ($130AUD) to families like Kiniviliame\u2019s, with a focus on supporting households with children under five years of age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kiniviliame learnt about Save the Children\u2019s project from a neighbour. After connecting with our project team, he was grateful to receive his first payment in November 2021. He recalls the moment clearly. \u201cThe night I received the text message – to tell you the truth, at home we had nothing at all,\u201d he explains, gesturing to the kitchen. \u201cMy water and electricity bills were piled up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told the children that we had a blessing,\u201d Kiniviliame remembers. \u201cThe next day we went out to buy things that we did not have at home, especially the basic needs for every day,\u201d he says. \u201cI took that $200FJD to do shopping for my family. I paid for my bills as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the second payment came through, Kiniviliame bought school supplies for his children. Each child received a backpack and stationery so they could go back to school after the Christmas break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on the impact the payments have had on his life, Kiniviliame says \u201cI see that there’s been a very big impact on my children. Because for me – from what I see – I cannot provide for them. And when the assistance from Save the Children came through it really helped them, especially to eat every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a very big help in my life especially when I had nothing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Caption: Kiniviliame used the cash transfers he received from Save the Children to purchase food and<\/em> school supplies for his five children. Photo: Katharina Glynne\/Save the Children. Photo: Katharina Glynne\/Save the Child<\/em>ren<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Caption: Kiniviliame\u2019s son (5) sits in the bedroom he shares with his father and four siblings. Photo:<\/em> Katharina Glynne\/Save the Children<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kiniviliame is grateful for the support he has received from Save the Children. \u201cI would like to take this opportunity to say thank you very much to Save the Children in Fiji and Australia for thinking of single parent families like mine,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third wave of COVID-19 continues to sweep Fiji, shuttering local businesses and dampening tourism. Despite still grappling with the devastating impacts of the pandemic, Kiniviliame remains hopeful for the future and is determined to make ends meet for his five children. \u201cMy plan for now – well, if the assistance is extended, I will start my own small business to help us with our day-to-day life,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the Children has already provided cash transfers to over 39,000 families in Fiji. Our research shows that 85% of households assisted so far have spent their money on food and other basic needs and 49% of households put the money towards their children\u2019s education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cash is the most efficient and effective way to empower emergency-affected communities \u2013 and COVID-19 continues to be the most pressing emergency Fiji faces today. We know cash works, and that the project is already making a huge difference for the lives of vulnerable Fijian families like Kiniviliame\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Caption: A public housing commission block on the outskirts of Suva, where families like Kiniviliame\u2019s<\/em> can pay subsidised rent. Photo: Katharina Glynne\/Save the Children<\/em>
\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kiniviliame is a single dad to five children, all under 12. They live together in a single room in a public housing block on the outskirts of Suva, Fiji\u2019s capital. Before the pandemic, Kiniviliame worked as a bartender. \u201cWhen Covid-19 hit, we had to close down the nightclub,\u201d he says. \u201cUp until today there is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[45],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3061,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3054\/revisions\/3061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.savethechildren.org.fj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}