the heart - Vodafone Fiji
the heart - Vodafone Fiji
the heart - Vodafone Fiji
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The Bare<br />
Necessities<br />
Foundation Board Member Mrs Manorma Singh with<br />
one of <strong>the</strong> new facilities at Marata<br />
Families in <strong>the</strong> Marata and Biliwai<br />
settlements in Wailoku are benefiting from<br />
much needed assistance towards <strong>the</strong><br />
improvement of toilet facilities in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
respective communities.<br />
Youths of Marata have completed <strong>the</strong><br />
construction of modern standard toilet<br />
facilities for 30 families to replace <strong>the</strong> old<br />
facilities that had been in existence for more<br />
than 50 years with work in neighbouring<br />
Biliwai currently underway.<br />
The project is being coordinated through<br />
<strong>the</strong> Ecumenical Centre for Research<br />
Education and Advocacy (ECREA) Social<br />
Justice Program.<br />
Families who needed assistance were<br />
identified after ECREA conducted a survey<br />
in <strong>the</strong> communities.<br />
ECREA Field Coordinator, Semiti Qalowasa<br />
said <strong>the</strong> project has boosted <strong>the</strong> lives of<br />
many families in Marata and will have a<br />
direct impact on <strong>the</strong> quality of life in Biliwai.<br />
Mr Qalowasa added that <strong>the</strong> projects were<br />
being implemented at an ideal time as it<br />
helped <strong>the</strong> residents of <strong>the</strong> settlement<br />
focus on positive developments and not on<br />
<strong>the</strong> current political situation.<br />
Developing medical<br />
professionals<br />
Since 2004 a total of thirty <strong>Fiji</strong> School of Medicine students from <strong>Fiji</strong> and <strong>the</strong><br />
region have received assistance from <strong>the</strong> Foundation for overseas attachments<br />
as part of <strong>the</strong>ir study for ei<strong>the</strong>r a Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery<br />
(MBBS), Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) or Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)<br />
programmes. Mr Julian Sing from <strong>the</strong> Deans Office at FSM spoke to Jeevan<br />
about <strong>the</strong> assistance.<br />
What does <strong>the</strong> assistance mean to students<br />
The elective scholarship allows <strong>Fiji</strong> School of Medicine students (usually in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
final year) to carry out <strong>the</strong>ir practical in an overseas teaching hospital or<br />
institution. The elective runs for between four to six weeks and this allows our<br />
students to train alongside some of <strong>the</strong> best specialists in <strong>the</strong> more developed<br />
world. The assistance is invaluable, exposing <strong>the</strong> students to working<br />
environments that are fairly advanced in expertise, technology and method.<br />
How are <strong>the</strong> students selected<br />
Student selection for <strong>Vodafone</strong> ATH Foundation scholarships to do electives<br />
overseas is carried out by committees made up of teaching staff at <strong>the</strong> three<br />
departments. The criteria for selection include academic excellence, proven<br />
capability and promise in <strong>the</strong> various fields of study. Students make <strong>the</strong>ir own<br />
arrangements for <strong>the</strong>ir overseas electives by finding <strong>the</strong>ir preferred institutions,<br />
arranging for a supervisor and o<strong>the</strong>r attachment details. Needless to say, <strong>the</strong><br />
elective scholarships are extremely competitive.<br />
What is <strong>the</strong> level of assistance<br />
The $15,000 that <strong>the</strong> <strong>Vodafone</strong> Foundation has been giving annually has been<br />
equally shared amongst all 10 participants; <strong>the</strong>refore each elective student<br />
gets $1,500. How <strong>the</strong>y use this money is entirely up to <strong>the</strong>m… however most<br />
use it to pay for <strong>the</strong>ir air fare. Individual students privately subsidise <strong>the</strong> rest of<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir expenses including living costs (board, meal, travel etc) and sundry during<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir stay abroad.<br />
Any O<strong>the</strong>r Relevant Information<br />
· The scholarship began in 2004 with a $15,000 grant<br />
· In 2005, a three year agreement was reached for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Vodafone</strong><br />
Foundation to annually fund a $15,000 per year elective programme<br />
· Two of <strong>the</strong> more popular institutions where students go to are <strong>the</strong><br />
Royal Melbourne Hospital and Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital<br />
“The elective programme will allow our students to experience through <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
training attachment a level of expertise and technology that would greatly<br />
benefit <strong>the</strong>m. The <strong>Fiji</strong> School of Medicine is grateful to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Vodafone</strong> ATH<br />
Foundation for <strong>the</strong>ir continued support for our students and through this<br />
intervention will ensure <strong>the</strong> school’s objective of properly and highly qualified<br />
health professionals for <strong>the</strong> region” – FSM Dean, Professor David Brewster.<br />
Supporting Disabled Sports<br />
The <strong>Fiji</strong> Sports Association for <strong>the</strong> Disabled received funding assistance to conduct a<br />
series of sports development workshops for sports teachers in 17 special education<br />
schools in <strong>Fiji</strong>.<br />
The training was conducted in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa with <strong>the</strong> main objective of<br />
enhancing <strong>the</strong> knowledge of <strong>the</strong> teachers to in turn benefit <strong>the</strong> 1096 registered<br />
disabled children in <strong>the</strong> Central/Eastern, Western and Nor<strong>the</strong>rn Divisions.<br />
Following <strong>the</strong> training, three regional sports competitions were held in <strong>the</strong> above<br />
divisions. The Association promotes participation in sports for disabled people, and<br />
encourages physical education and exercise for disabled people.<br />
www.vodafone.com.fj/foundation<br />
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