Fiji Prime Minister and Outrigger Take the Lead in Walk for Kids

BY DONNA PARKIN — Sigatoka, Fiji, celebrated the fifth staging of the Outrigger Walk for Kids April 5.

Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort was indeed honored to have Chief Guest, the Prime Minister of Fiji Mr. Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, join the Walk initiated by the resort’s sales and reservations department as a means of raising funds to help support the education and care for children with special needs in the Nadroga Navosa province.

Along with the Prime Minister, three students from the Sigatoka School for Children with Special Needs, who brought home 3 Gold medals and 1 Bronze medal from The World Games Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi in March, also participated.

Prime Minister Bainimarama thanked the resort for not only raising funds to support this vital cause but raise critical awareness. He said Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort is leading the way to change the culture to be more mindful of special needs.

Since it began in 2015, the walk has raised monies to fund the construction of a carpentry workshop that facilitates trade skills training to help students transition into the formal employment sector and last year, made possible the purchase of a 4WD to allow teachers to take their outreach programs into the interior of Nadroga/Navosa.

Russell said the Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort relies on support from guests, hosts, corporate partners and the Fijian government for the success of this annual event.

This year, the walk raised a record $61,357 that will go toward building a floodwater retention wall and fence for the Sigatoka School for children with special needs and to fund other development programs throughout the year.

There are also plans to extend assistance to selected rural schools, beginning with the construction of a students’ bus shelter at Nalagi Primary School and the construction of new toilet facilities at Conua District School.

Special thanks to Petero Manufolau, director of sales, for his initiative and the entire sales and reservations team for their community mindedness and work on this project.

Our thanks to all those who participated in the Special Olympics and to the sponsors and donors of the walk; in particular, Goodman Fielder for the generous donation of food and snacks for the event.

“The education of our children is one of the pillars on which we will create the Fiji of tomorrow and it is vitally important that children with special needs be part of our nation building.

“I would like to think that the Outrigger Walk for Kids goes in some small way toward achieving this goal,” said Russell.