UNDP helps schools for International Day to EradicatePoverty

UNDP reaches out to schools to promote the MDGs and International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

13 October 2011 – The 2011 Miss Sugar, Renee Duguivalu partnered with the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Pacific Centre to conduct a schools outreach in the Western Division in the lead up to the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

On Wednesday 12 October, Miss Duguivalu, accompanied by two UNDP staff members, visited seven schools and advocated to students to have an active role in helping work towards the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG), to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

“We can start by working hard; take school seriously, we should work hard at honing our natural talents and skills because the means to make a living nowadays is wide open to all trades and talents, provided you have the motivation and organization to be successful,” said Miss Duguivalu, speaking to students at Ratu Navula College in Nadi, from where she started her tour.

The reigning Miss Sugar who was also selected as the Best MDG Speaker during the Sugar Festival, presented on the MDGs as well as conducted pop quizzes in the schools visited which included Natabua High School, Ba Provincial Freebird Institute, Lautoka Central Primary School, Drasa Avenue School, Lautoka Andhra Sangam School and Saint Thomas High School. All schools visited were presented with MDG literature for the school library and for student research purposes.

“This visit was useful because most of our students come from remote areas and the information shared today can help them uplift their lives at home. Education is the only means of changing lives of students and their communities,” said the Principal of the Ba Provincial Freebird Institute, Beniamino Tawake.

Students were also empowered by hearing Miss Duguivalu speak.

“I came to know about the MDGs during the Sugar Festival earlier this year, but I really understood what they meant at the presentation today. We are facing hard times in Fiji. Achieving the MDGs and alleviating poverty will benefit the country as a whole,” said Dorian Samuel, a Form 5 student at Natabua High School.

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty which falls on 17 October provides a great opportunity for raising awareness on this goal. MDG reports of Pacific Island countries indicate that poverty is generally viewed as hardship due to lack of services, like transport, water, primary health care, and education.

Miss Sugar will also be one of the speakers at the Laucala Campus of the University of the South Pacific (USP) on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Day during an event organised by UNDP in partnership with the USP Students Association to raise awareness on MDGs and poverty alleviation initiatives in the Pacific.

ENDS

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