School’s out: Cyclone Winston impacts education

Adi Dokoni, kindergarten teacher from Navitilevu village, with her daughters
 © UNICEF Pacific/2016/Sokhin

By Cifora Monier

Adi Dokoni, a 42 year old mother of three and a kindergarten teacher in Navitilevu village, Fiji, tells her children to be careful while they run around the debris left behind by Cyclone Winston. “Everything is damaged; our house and our crops,” she says watching her children move away from the sharp corrugated metal that lays on the ground broken and twisted by the storm.

“There is no school for the time being and we still have to rebuild our houses,” says Adi. “We don’t know how long it will take us. We don’t have money because the food we’d usually sell from our crops has been destroyed. That was our only way of getting money.”

Fiji after Cyclone Winston: “I told my family to leave everything”

Tiloko, his wife Leba and their children
© UNICEF Pacific/2016/Sokhin

By Neisau Tuidraki, UNICEF Pacific

In Yaqeta village, Yasawa Islands, 39-year-old Leba sits on a mat in the place where her family house stood, before it was destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Winston. She is joined by her husband Tiloko and their five children Adi, Makereta, Emosi, Waisake and Vasemasa, aged from 16 to just one.

“On the night of the cyclone we all stayed at home,” Leba says. “The wind got stronger and stronger, and then the breadfruit tree fell on top of our house and destroyed it.”

Families in Fiji pick up the pieces after Cyclone Winston

Tuvosa, 3, with his mother Kalisi, in their ruined home
© UNICEF Pacific/2016/Sokhin 

Natural disasters like Cyclone Winston in Fiji have the biggest impact on children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society. This was certainly the case for 3-year-old Tuvosa (pictured above) when the cyclone tore his family's house apart, on Viti Levu island. "We lost everything," his mother Kalisi says. "We don't have a house, and there is no food. During the cyclone me, mum and Tuvosa were hiding under the bed. My husband was holding the wall."

"When my soon realised what had happened to our house, he cried," she continues. "Since the cyclone, he has not been the same. Every time he comes back home he cries. He barely talks to us. I think it has really affected him."

Tropical Cyclone Winston leaves homes and lives shattered across Fiji

Makereta Nasiki, 13, sits in her now flooded bedroom
UNICEF Pacific/2016/Sokhin

By Donna Hoerder, UNICEF Pacific Islands

As Category 5 Tropical Cyclone Winston left Fiji on Sunday, thousands of families were braced for the after effects, including searching for loved ones, returning to and in some cases rebuilding their homes and beginning the huge task of clean up and reconstruction.

The most devastating natural disaster to hit Fiji in recorded history left no one untouched. All parts of the country experienced strong winds, tidal surges, flooding, power cuts and/or water cuts. Everywhere, children were among the most vulnerable and affected.

UNICEF spoke to children and their families across the country to understand the impact of the Cyclone on their lives.

Cyclone Winston: children react to the devastation

Communities across Fiji have been devastated by the strongest storm ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere and children will be among those hardest hit. Tropical Cyclone Winston has flattened entire villages with wind gusts in excess of 320 km/h and devastating storm surges and rains.

UNICEF has begun assisting those most affected. There are an estimated 400,000 people, including around 165,000 children, affected by the cyclone. Thousands of homes have been damaged. Hospitals, schools and water supplies have been hit hard, while damage to crops and livestock has cut off families’ food and livelihoods.

Some young Fijians share early accounts of the aftermath after a terrifying night sheltering from Cyclone Winston.

Champions for healthy schools

Nasautoka District School. © Akvo/2015/Stefan

It’s not something you might think about all that often – but the provision of safe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities in schools can mean the difference for children between staying healthy and safe at school – or getting sick and missing important classes - or worse. 

Nasautoka Primary School Leads the Way in School Hygiene in Fiji

Students from Nasautoka Primary School. © UNICEF Pacific/2014/Hing

WAINIBUKA, FIJI – Tiled floors, a mirror and a washbasin with soap. These are the basic ingredients for a school bathroom. But for students of Nasautoka Primary School and many other schools in Fiji, these ingredients and facilities are not common place. 

The lack of hygiene facilities at many schools throughout Fiji account for increased rates of absenteeism and illness among students and teachers. “Most of the students used to get very sick”, says Head Teacher, Kasanita Cakacaka. Unsafe water and poor sanitation account for nutritional deficiencies, diarrhoea, worm infestations, respiratory infections, skin and eye infections. These preventable diseases lead to poor attendance or attention at school and hindering many children’s ability to learn, grow and develop.

15 Primary Schools in Fiji Have Improved Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Facilities

Tiled floors, a mirror and a washbasin with soap – these seem like the basic ingredients for a school bathroom. For students of Nasautoka District School and many others in Fiji, this was not always so.

Certificate ceremoney for UNICEF Youth Mediactivist Volunteers for WASH

"Volunteerism is the noble commitment to humanity," commented one of the Youth Mediactivists when asked why he volunteered to pack 6000 Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) packets for UNICEF's WASH program.

UNICEF Youth Mediactivists for WASH with Isabelle Austin, Deputy Representative of UNICEF Pacific
© UNICEF Pacific/2013/Choi

Using the sun to chill vaccines in Fiji

By Karen Allen, UNICEF Pacific Representative

Women with their babies visiting Waidina Nursing station
© UNICEF Pacific/2013/MRoqica

Winding along roads bordered by lush, verdant fields and forest, we stopped to ask for directions twice. First, a friendly farmer took some time, out of politeness, to essentially tell us to "keep going straight and then turn left". After a while we checked again with a group of women carrying babies. The women laughed: "Turn your head and you will see it on your left." They were also on their way to see the nurse.

Fiji Hibiscus Festival 2013

UNICEF, UNFPA and WHO hosted the UN Tent at the 2013 Fiji Hibiscus Festival. With free face painting, coloring, balloons as well as a Quiz every hour. Making an appearance was UNICEF Pacific Youth Ambassador Merewalesi Nailatikau.

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Get Ready. Disasters Happen

Fiji’s National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) and Ministry of Health (MoH) with technical support from UNICEF Pacific and AusAID funding have developed a multimedia communication package focusing on disaster preparedness in Fiji. The multi-media package includes 10 radio and TV spots, 1 poster calendar, a pocket guide, a website, a Facebook quiz, an Android App and 10 SMS messages. All materials are available in English, i-Taukei and Hindi. The package focuses on 10 key life saving practices that are important to keeping families safe during disasters.

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The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities

In the Pacific, The State of the World’s Children 2013: Children with Disabilities report was launched by Minister Counsellor, Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Mr. John Davidson, who emphasized the importance of mainstreaming disability across all development. In thanking him, UNICEF Pacific Representative, Dr Isiye Ndombi said “children with disabilities have the same rights as all children, including the right to be recognized and provided with the same opportunities to flourish enjoyed by others. However, they are too often invisible—in statistics, in policies, in societies.”

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One Talk 4 All - Youth Media for Children

Production of “award-winning” international-standard media productions for children, families and communities!

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Back to School Support for Children Affected by Tropical Cyclone Evan

Tents that will act as temporary learning spaces, and School-in-a-Box kits to equip the temporary classrooms, were part of the support provided by UNICEF to the Ministry of Education to help get children back to school. In addition, back packs containing stationery sets are being provided to assist with the educational needs of primary school students affected by Tropical Cyclone Evan.

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"LIFE" (special matinee for children)

350 school children from Fiji today witnessed a special performance by the 2012 Tadra Kahani winners and the premiere of a new dance performance "LIFE". Performed by Oceania Dance Theatre in Suva, "LIFE" weaves together different stories depicting how we relate to one another and connect and communicate to create the world we live in. Creative arts use song, dance and visuals to tell stories and engage people to talk about issues that affect us all. LIKE if you agree that ALL children should have access to creative arts.

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Pneumococcal, Rotavirus and Human Papillomavirus Vaccines

Introduction and launch of the Pneumococcal, Rotavirus and Human Papillomavirus Vaccines

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UNICEF Pacific Emergency Assesment

Emergency assessment student focus group discussion - social protection, in Tavua, Western side of Fiji that was affected by the March floods.

Torrential rains caused by Tropical Depression TD17F caused widespread flooding on 30 March 2012 in particularly the Western Division of Fiji. The floods killed four people and temporarily displaced 15,000 people, causing damages to infrastructure, schools, homes, businesses and agriculture. With power and electricity disrupted for days, at least 150,000 people were affected. A State of Natural Disaster was declared for parts of the west of Fiji.

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Visit to Vella La Vella and Gizo Hospital with the UNICEF Executive Board

Members of the UNICEF Executive Board comprising of H.E. Mr. Andrei Dapkiunas, Permanent Representative of Belarus to the United Nations; Mr. Jerobeam Shaanika, Minister Counselor, Deputy Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of Namibia to the United Nations; Mr. Tleuzhan Seksenbay, Counselor, Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations and Mr. Nicolas Charles Pron, Secretary of the UNICEF Executive Board, visited Fiji and Solomon Islands from 10 to 21 March 2012.

The aim of the mission was to gain a first-hand understanding of UNICEF's work in these Pacific Island Countries including its close association with government and NGO partners. The delegation was escorted by UNICEF's Representative to the Pacific Islands, Dr Isiye Ndombi and the members met with senior government officials in both countries including the honorable Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Mr Gordon Darcy Lilo.

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Child Protection

UNICEF Pacific aims to ensure that children are increasingly protected by legislation and are better served by justice systems that protect them as victims, offenders and witnesses,

Ensuring that children are better served by well-informed and coordinated child protection social services that ensure greater protection against and response to violence, abuse and exploitation; and

Supporting families and communities in establishing home and community environments for children that are free from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Watch videos produced by young people showing the situations, challenges and opportunities facing children and youth in the pacific.