1. TEAM FIJI PRESENTS FAREWELL TO PRESIDENT – His Excellency the President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands Ratu Epeli Nailatikau today received the traditional ‘i-tatau’, the i-Taukei formal farewell, from Fiji’s delegation to the Pacific Mini Games.
2. FIJIAN STUDENTS SET OFF FOR CHINA TRAINING – Eighteen students who are recipients of the China Scholarship Council scheme were today presented with their air tickets and allowances by the Public Service Commission.
3. VIOLENCE FREE AWARENESS REACHES MARITIME COMMUNITIES – With the objective of preparing communities to understand the root causes and reporting procedures of the Domestic Violence Decree and Child Welfare Decree, the Ministry of Women in partnership with the Fiji Police and Legal Aid Commission is maximizing community awareness programs in the maritime zone.
4. SCHOLARSHIPS TEAM VISIT GAU – The Public Service Commission, recently offered first hand information on PSC scholarship assistance and services to students on the island of Gau in Lomaiviti.
5. SCHOLARSHIPS ON OFFER TO STUDY IN MEXICO – The Government of Mexico is offering two (2) partial Scholarship Awards for study in 2014.
1 TEAM FIJI PRESENTS FAREWELL TO PRESIDENT
His Excellency the President of the Republic of the Fiji Islands Ratu Epeli Nailatikau today received the traditional ‘i-tatau’, the i-Taukei formal farewell, from Fiji’s delegation to the Pacific Mini Games.
The games take place in Wallis and Futuna from the 2nd to the 12th of September.
While commending the athletes for their skill and experience, the Head of State called on the athletes to work closely with each and to remain true to the purpose of their tour.
The Fiji team’s Chef de mission Ms Alini Rabitu Sovu said that 108 players and officials will represent Fiji to the games.
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2 FIJIAN STUDENTS SET OFF FOR CHINA TRAINING
Eighteen students who are recipients of the China Scholarship Council scheme were today presented with their air tickets and allowances by the Public Service Commission.
The PSC deputy secretary Iliesa Lutu said that the Government of the People’s Republic of China has been very generous in their provision of tertiary scholarship assistance this year with the final selection of 22 Fiji citizens.
“Twenty of the recipients will have their airfares paid for the Fijian Government while two will be paid for the Government of China,” Mr Lutu said.
“However, all 22 students will be receiving an annual supplementary allowance from the government of Fiji.”
Expressing government’s gratitude and acknowledging the Chinese government’s assistance, Mr Lutu said that for the past three years the quota for the Fijian government for the Chinese Scholarship Council Awards had increased to 22 this year compared to 5 – 8 as in the past.
“The Government of China has been our major development partner in recent years. Apart from assistance through aid and investment, training opportunities has always been readily provided for members of the civil service, officials from statutory bodies and the general public,” Mr Lutu said.
“To the students, you have the full support of the Fijian Government as you go on this phase of your journey towards educational excellence.
“The road ahead will not be smooth sailing. There will be a few obstacles that you will face and it will require you to improvise on solutions to ensure that your academic performance is not affected.”
Former Yat Sen Secondary School student, Phinaiso Liao said that she was grateful to both the Chinese and Fijian government for their assistance.
“I am grateful for this scholarship as it will enable me to undertake a bachelors degree majoring in economics,” Ms Liao said.
Ms Liao said that she hopes to work for the United Nations upon completion of her programme.
There are currently 25 Fijian citizens who are sponsored under the Chinese Scholarship Council.
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3 VIOLENCE FREE AWARENESS REACHES MARITIME COMMUNITIES
With the objective of preparing communities to understand the root causes and reporting procedures of the Domestic Violence Decree and Child Welfare Decree, the Ministry of Women in partnership with the Fiji Police and Legal Aid Commission is maximizing community awareness programs in the maritime zone.
This week the Ministry organised 2 sets of awareness programs in Levuka; the first training was held at Vatukalo village and the second one was held at the Lomaiviti Provincial office. The 2 day-training started on Tuesday and there were 30 participants in each of the trainings.
The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation permanent secretary Dr Josefa Koroivueta said that communities in rural and maritime areas need continued awareness and advocacy to enable them to respond effectively to cases of domestic violence.
“The 2 days training in Vatukalo will provide an opportunity for the villagers to understand the determinants of domestic violence and child welfare issues. It will enable the participants to acquire information on reporting procedures for Domestic Violence Decree and Child Welfare Decree.
“The awareness program will be an eye opener for this community to realize the effects of domestic violence and identify ways to curb these problems in their own homes and society. The workshop also encourages the participants to become the advocates of violence free communities,” Dr Koroivueta said.
The stakeholders training on Gender Based Violence was the first for Levuka and the primary objective has been to empower relevant stakeholders to clearly understand the dynamics of gender violence and contribute effectively towards the implementation of Zero Tolerance Violence Free Community Campaign.
While speaking about the benefits of the training, Lomaiviti’s assistant district officer Atunaisa Veiqaravi said that the training is informative and looks not only at Decrees but also creates discussions on topics like positive parenting.
“At the end of the training the stakeholders were able to put together a consolidated work plan that each one of them will take back and implement in their communities. It has also enabled the male participants to reflect on ways they can promote gender equality in their homes and communities. We hope to work with the Ministry in replicating similar awareness programs for other communities in the Lomaiviti and eastern division,” Mr Veiqaravi added.
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4 SCHOLARSHIPS TEAM VISIT GAU
The Public Service Commission, recently offered first hand information on PSC scholarship assistance and services to students on the island of Gau in Lomaiviti.
PSC permanent secretary Mr Parmesh Chand said PSC representatives explained to the students about the six types of scholarships offered by PSC and explained in detail the criteria to follow when applying for these scholarships.
“PSC is making every effort to ensure that primary and secondary school students in particular those in the rural and maritime areas, get the opportunity to know about scholarships offered at PSC,” Mr Chand said.
He said that it was important for potential students to know and understand the criteria for various forms of assistance available.
“Students at form five levels should also be made aware that they need to start making correct choices of subject. For those at Form Seven level they need to start considering their career pathway and so work towards attaining good marks in order to qualify for Scholarships to undertake tertiary education,” Mr Chand added.
Mr Chand said discussions also centered on parental responsibilities and expectations when supervising children’s study time.
The PSC team also emphasized to students on the need to work hard and have a shared goal and vision inorder to achieve a scholarship for further studies.
Altogether there are six scholarships and assistance programmes being offered including the PSC Local, PSC Overseas, Student Loan Scheme, Tertiary Education Loan Scheme, PSC Multi Ethnic Affairs Scheme and the Scholarship Scheme for Special Children (SSSC).
The PSC team was represented by the Scholarship Unit acting manager Ms Alumeci Korobiau and Mr Joave Noavesi who were part of a government delegation led by the Divisional Commissioner Eastern that visited Gau Secondary School on August 12, 2013.
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5 SCHOLARSHIPS ON OFFER TO STUDY IN MEXICO
The Government of Mexico is offering two (2) partial Scholarship Awards for study in 2014.
Public Service Commission permanent secretary Mr Parmesh Chand is calling on potential students to apply for this opportunity to study in Mexico.
“Potential Fijian students are being encouraged to send in their applications which will be due this Friday 23/08/2013,” Mr Chand said.
Programs offered and duration include undergraduate and graduate academic mobility programs, graduate research and professional fellowships, specialization, masters degree, doctorate and medical specialities and sub-specialities.
Applicants are advised to visit the PSC website www.psc.gov.fj <http://www.psc.gov.fj> or the list of prescribed website of Universities in Mexico –http://amexcid.mx/index.php/
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