The Real Measure Of Altruism In Fiji.

Hibiscus Trust Fiji just posted a video on Youtube, about their actvities around Fiji detailing the difficulty of obtaining health care in Fiji.

The Hibsicus Trust was founded by Sadhana Smiles, a 2007 Price Waterhouse Coopers Victoria/Tas Franchise Women of the year; is a consultant from Victoria, Australia and Director of Real Change. Smiles's own blog.

Smiles passionately shares her experiences and describes a sad story in her blog.

The excerpt:

Cost of a life was $2.00

As we approach international woman’s day let’s celebrate our political, social, business and economic successes and in recognition of the theme this year stop violence against women and girls. I also ask that you pause and consider for a moment women in countries who today still do not have equal rights. And that the measure of success of equal rights is not just about politics, business and economy but also about health and education.

I want to share a story of beautiful woman who died simply because she could not afford a $2 bus fare. Leba lived in Fiji where over 60% of the population lives below the poverty line. She regularly had pap smears however in 2004 she could not afford $2 for a bus fare to go and collect her results. Two years later her doctor told her she had cervical cancer by which stage it was too late to treat. Her husband died shortly after, she lost her home, could not work and had to move her family into a settlement where 8 of them lived in a home the size of an average bedroom in the western world. She could not afford pain medication or dressings and her children watched her die an undignified death. No human should have to go through this.

Our trust supported her in her final days; she lost her battle to cancer on the 18th of November 2008. She left behind 7 kids who are now orphans. Her wish was for two things, her kids stay together and they get an education. Our trust (Hibiscus Trust Fiji) is ensuring that this occurs.

Sadly Leba’s story is not unusual, she lived in a country where education on women’s health is not a priority, where doctors do not conduct regular breast exams and pap smears, where once diagnosed you could be waiting for 12 months for any form of treatment, where chemotherapy is not readily available and alarmingly there is no follow up on positive results. More often by the time women find out they have breast or cervical cancer it is too late. Women are not taught how to check their breasts, or sent reminders for pap smears.

Many women suffer sexually transmitted diseases which they have caught from their husbands; they cannot afford to go to a doctor or the bus fare to the local hospital leave alone buy drugs for treatment.

As we celebrate international women’s day pause and think about our sisters who live in countries where because you are unable to afford a bus fare it makes a difference between life and death; equal rights is not just about the vote, or equal pay, board representation, promotions... it is about basic human rights, basic health care and simply the opportunity to live your life.

Ask ourselves how can we make a difference? What can I do to make sure that these stories do not become the norm no matter where women live.

One can almost say, Hibiscus Trust is making a real change for people in Fiji;  and their quiet achievements, sets their outfit apart from the rest.

Unlike some other prima donna NGO personalities. Case in point: Fiji Womens Crisis Centre coordinator, Shamima Ali, who apparently lives under the spotlight of media attention. 

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Mandate of Corruption.

Article by blog: Maxine covers the news of the 400 cases of corruption reported by the interim Government's new Anti-Corruption unit, superimposed with the remark by Fiji Womens Crisis Centre spokesperson Virisila Buadromo, reported by an article from Radio NZ International.

“The mechanisms created to set it up were illegal and the people don’t fully understand that and it seem like should the current regime be taken to court and then it found to be illegal or the coup that they put in place is illegal then all the institutions and decisions that they made then become null and void.”

This comment is best read along with a remark made by former British P.M , Winston Churchill in the House of Commons on November 11th 1947: "Many forms of governments have been tried or will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government, except all those other forms that havee been tried from time to time".

Buadromo implies erroneously that, moral virtues should not replace democratic vices. By extension of that logic, corruption should be cordoned in Fiji and should not be singled out or stopped. Since corruption was virtually ignored by the supposedly, democratically elected SDL Government, headed by Laisenia Qarase; the Interim Government should use that same precedence of ignoring white-collar criminals.

Unfortunately, it seems these 400 cases of corruption were not investigated, prior to the 2006 coup and Fiji Women's Crisis Centre's (FWCC)overwhelming silence on the issues of corruption reported by Fiji media, did not help at all in preventing, arresting or investigating this growing cancer.

By implication, FWCC was complicit in the culture of silence, which actively ignored corruption in Fiji. This diabolic silence, effectively led to misappropriations from the state coffers; which FWCC did not object to, at any time. Those squandered state funds, could have otherwise been utilized for empowerment programs, specifically for rural dwelling women; if their rural crisis had ever appeared on the radar screens in FWCC.

The only thing that was "voided" beyond reasonable doubt, was the ability of FWCC to report on the issue of corruption. 400 cases marks the high water level of FWCC's ignorance and questions the oversight ability of institutions, to halt festering corruption in Fiji.
Although, the question of legitimacy was raised by Buadromo regarding the question of legitimacy; the issue of institutionalized corruption and turning a blind eye to the cancer supersedes that petty concern.

Democratic legitimacy has been a myopic concern of FWCC and this concern is diluted by a quote from a U.S President, John Adams, who wrote on April 15, 1814, in a letter to John Taylor: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide".

Buadromo's pre-text of legitimacy should be more applicable to the undemocratic use of native institutions like Great Council of Chiefs; which actively manufactures consent from the indigenous populace, using a cultural mandate in a democratic arena.
Suffice to say, Buadromo's knowledge of legality is extremely limited; since she is neither a lawyer by profession, nor is FWCC or Buadromo legally contesting the legitimacy of the Interim Government or their decisions, in any Fiji court. Absence of such court rulings on legitimacy; underlines the speculative nature of FWCC's position and their spokesperson.

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