ISSUE 11 / APRIL - Vodafone Fiji

EVERYONE CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE‘Ek dum mast mein hai’‘Ek dum mast mein hai (he is content and happy now)’, says the mother ofAyush Manish Kumar since her only son underwent heart surgery with the helpof Vodafone ATH Fiji Foundation.Mother Madhu recalls the months she spent in hospital with Ayush,watching as her youngest child continued fi ghting to live.“We had lost hope - he couldn’t even drink water properly, let alone eat anice-cream,” she said, remembering vividly her two-year battling his shortnessof breath as hospital equipment monitored him.Vodafone ATH Foundation stepped in to provide the cost of surgery forAyush. Six years on, he is attending school in Natabua, happy and healthy.“We were going through diffi cult times then, building a house and lookingafter our sick son,” says Madhu, whose husband is a bus driver. “Vodafone cameto our rescue when we needed it most. Thank you.”Dancing after 12 years of pain“If ever I have money, I will donate to the Foundation so other childrenwith heart ailment can be treated,” says a grateful Subha Laxmi. Her daughterPriyanka Prakahni received heart surgery in October 2007 after battling herheart ailment for 12 years.She used to miss 50 or 60 days of school every year because of high fever,joint pains, vomiting and shortness of breath and from being admitted tohospital about four times a year with stays of up to three weeks.Today Priyanka, 15, loves dancing – something she would never have donebefore her surgery. She is an above average fourth former, logs in zero absencein school and is the pride of her mother.Such is her improvement that her mother knows that any surplus moneythe family ever makes will be donated to the Vodafone ATH Foundation to helpother mothers get a cure for their children. The family used $6000 of theirmoney towards the surgery in India.Vodafone’s Pradeep ep Lal with a mother and child‘Parents must come forward to save their children’Sleepless nights spent checking whether their baby was still breathing waspart of the life of the Kurinabili family for months. Doctors said eight-month oldRushila Nakuna Kurinabili had two-years at the most to live.Rusila, now four, has been leading a normal life since undergoing heartsurgery in India three years ago, thanks to Vodafone ATH Foundation. This is farcry from the time when she would turn dark and have a cold sweat every timeshe ate, when only daily medication kept her alive.And her parents are now urging other parents to come forward and to seekhelp for their sick children.“My advice to parents is to come forward and not to be frighten of what ishappening to their children,” says mother Ilivia Kurinabili. “In rural areas whenthe babies are sick , parents don’t come forward. They fear of what others maythink, or maybe they think they can’t afford the treatment.”Ilivia, a nurse whose husband is a farmer, remembers when the VodafoneATH Foundation came to their rescue. “We never had the kind of money to treatour daughter. It was like God helping us. The Foundation help was God-sent.”“My daughter has been provided a “second chance at life,” says Ilivia.School gets water1000 students willManufacturers. This isbenefi t from a bore holeaunique partnershipwater project at Shreewhere number of fundersVivekananda College inarejoining hands toNadi.make a difference inCommissioning thethecommunity.” “Thisproject, ATH CEO Tomasialsocomplements theTomasi VakatoraVakatora said improvedmillennium developmentwater supply leads to social and goals and increased resourceeconomic benefi ts and VodafoneATH Fiji Foundation is delighted to bepart of it.The foundation has so far givenallocation is making this happen.”Mr Vakatora said the projects aremade possible through strengthenedpartnership between the school,more than $350,000 towards families and communities assisting inthe Rotary Pacifi c Water for LifeFoundation which implements theseprojects. The cost of the SVC projectwas $25,667.62construction and installation workswith labour input and committingthemselves to good governance ofthe system after its completion.“The aim is to assist rural “Beyond argument, one of thecommunities with the provision ofsustainable, clean and safe drinkingwater,” said Mr Vakatora.“These projects are a partnershipbetween the Rotary International,major benefi ts of water and sanitationis time saving associated with betteraccess in turn increasing production,improving health and educationlevels which is a very importantVodafone ATH Fiji Foundation, indicator for student pursuit toWestpac, Fiji Water and Golden excellence.”32,500 people benefit from projectThe Rotary Pacifi c Water forLife Foundation was establishedin August 2007 to provide ruralcommunities with sustainable, cleanand safe drinking water.Since then it has benefi ted 32,500people around Fiji with 88 projects tothe tune of $994,000.Another 150 projects are pendingon the islands of Viti Levu, Yasawas,Kadavu, Vanua Levu and otherislands. Project types range from theprovision of water tanks and pipingor, for the larger type, digging ofboreholes, electrical pumping intostorage tanks and reticulation intoindividual homes.All projects are a partnershipbetween the Foundation and thevillages, the former providing thefunding and the village making itspeople available for constructionand installation works and ongoingmaintenance after the completion ofthe project.Village commitment also includessetting up a water committee whichmeets regularly for the duration ofthe project and continues managingthe facility after its commissioning.Committee members also receivetechnical training in basic plumbingand maintenance.Providing water in the communityis a moral obligation says RotaryWater Pacifi c For Life Foundation’sJoel Sahai.Speaking to Jeevan, Sahai saidthat the approach the foundationtook in providing water was 100%sustainable. “We do not only providewater tanks”.Sustainability is built into theprojects with the Foundationproviding training and awarenessworkshops on water management,waste water and household rubbishdisposal, sanitation and bestpractice methods. Priority is given tocommunities which have no watersupply whatsoever, being dependenton rivers and creeks for their onlysource of supply.All applications for assistance areassessed by a Technical AdvisoryCommittee. Funding is providedfor 100 percent of the overall costof a project and to a maximum of$100,000 or a portion(s) of a projectwith a larger budget.Water & Sanitationcoverage by provinceProvinceNo.Cakaudrove 7Ba 11Kadavu 1Bua 2Namosi 3Naitasiri 3Macuata 14Tailevu 15Rotuma 1Nadroga 11Ra 18Rewa 2TOTAL 88www.vodafone.com.fj/foundation l 7