The Adventist Development and Relief Agency Fiji (ADRA Fiji) today virtually launched a Disaster Ready Pilot project with the Seventh Day Adventist Church to help church members prepare and respond to disasters.
ADRA Fiji will be working closely with five identified sites in the central division to implement the one year project funded by the South Pacific Division of the SDA Church focusing on building resilience communities/church.
Project Manager Samisoni Loga, who is also the Emergency Coordinator for ADRA Fiji said there are three main objectives of the project.
“The local churches will be trained to be Disaster Ready whereby leaders and youth volunteers will undergo necessary learning for community mobilization and having a church emergency plan,” Loga said.
He said the pilot churches and Fiji Mission Leadership would be strengthened to make informed decisions regarding Disaster Preparedness and Response. This will include making immediate and lifesaving decisions for the members, church and youth in community mobilization.
“Lastly, we hope to equip the local church members through this project to be active and inclusive humanitarian and climate change approaches to their immediate local communities.”
President of the Fiji Mission of the SDA, Pastor Nasoni Lutunaliwa said the project is in line with the church’s plans of hope, life and light to the community.
“This project will address the immediate need that we have in terms of disaster preparedness and it is an honor, joy and privilege to announce the launch of the project ensuring that our church will be a Safe Haven for communities when disaster strikes,” Lutunaliwa said.
The South Pacific Division of Seventh-day Adventists is a sub-entity of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, which oversees the Church’s work in the South Pacific nations of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the islands of the South Pacific. Its headquarters is in Wahroonga, Australia.
