2021 Constitution Challenge
September 6, 2021 State House
??????Bula
Vinaka
Thank
you to the students from all over Fiji who joined this year’s Our Constitution
Challenge. While we work hard to get you back into your classrooms, we are
proud to see you use your time at home to share your knowledge and talents with
your nation on this Constitution Day.
Our
Fijian Constitution is one of the most progressive in the world. Like most
other constitutions, it enshrines political and civil rights, such as the right
to vote and the right of freedom of speech. But our Fijian Constitution goes
further, enshrining a vast array of socioeconomic rights that ensure equality
of opportunity in our economy.
Ahead
of this eighth anniversary of our Fijian Constitution, we asked students to
look at one of those socioeconomic rights –– the right to social protection
schemes. With our economy battered by the global pandemic, my government’s
commitment to uphold that sacred right has been tested by a time of serious
need across Fiji. And we are meeting that challenge with historic levels of
support to the Fijian people.
Free
education, subsidised water, electricity and transportation to school, and,
soon, free sanitary pads for female students. The poverty benefit scheme,
social pension scheme, disability allowance, the child protection allowances,
the food voucher programme for rural pregnant women, and subsidised bus fares
for the elderly and those living with disabilities, and the unemployment
benefits, including for those in the informal sector, food rations, and the
subsidised treatment at private general practitioner clinics provided by
government all form a social safety net that protects those that are most
vulnerable in our Fijian society. And we received many wonderful submissions
from the young people of Fiji telling us how these programmes have changed
lives for the better.
We saw so much talent that it was hard to pick a select few entries above the rest. But after serious deliberation by our judging panel, I am proud to announce our winners for the video and essay competition.
For the video competition,
?- Our winner, for the age category 5 to 12 is Loraine Shekinah Nasaroa, age 9, from St Teresa's Primary School in Ba.
- For the age category 13 to 18, we have two winners who both impressed our judges. They are, Saakshi Ashlyne Goundar, age 17, from Natabua High School in Lautoka and George Nasavuilagi Telawa, age 18, from Tavua College.
-And our winners in the family category are a duo from Valebasoga Public School in Labasa, Saiyad Hassan and Umaiza Siddiqa.
-And for the essay competition, we have three national winners.
-In the category of ages 5 –12, our winner is Hibah Siddiqa, Year 4, from Nadi Muslim Primary School,
-In the category of ages 13 to 18, our winner is Chrisheeta Kaashvi Kumar, Year 10, from Xavier College.
- - And finally, for the
category of ages 19 to 25, our winner is Avinal
Bhawik Chand from the University of Fiji.
Our
winning students will each receive a 500-dollar cash prize. We will be posting
the full videos and essays on the Fijian Government Facebook page, I encourage
you all to view these videos and essays.
Before you do, I want to end with sharing a lesson from the essay of one of our winners, Chrisheeta. In her own words:
“The right to Social Security Schemes is a right given to every individual. This right has helped people survive, to support themselves and their families, and it has upheld the dignity of the most vulnerable. My grandparents are living their life, fully supported by the Social Welfare scheme and I am glad that our constitution includes such a right that protects our fellow vulnerable citizens.”
Vinaka vakalevu, Chrisheeta. Thanks to you, and all of
the other students who joined this year’s competition, I know that we will
remain a caring and compassionate Fiji for generations to come.
Vinaka Vakalevu and May God Bless you all and Bless
our beloved Fiji.