Community Notices

MESSAGE BY THE FIJI ASSOCIATION ON HAJJ 2015

Assalam Alaikum,

 It is my pleasant task as President of the Fiji Association of Wellington to offer our best wishes to all those Muslim brothers and sisters who are making the Holy Pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. I commend all those brothers and sisters from Wellington who are taking part in Hajj 2015 and May Allah (SWT) accept your sacrifices to enable you to be part of the millions now in Saudi Arabia for Hajj. A large contingent from Wellington including the Secretary of the Wellington Islamic Association, Br Hafiz Ali is participating and they have our best wishes. Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is enjoined upon those with the means to attend. I also offer our sincere condolences to the families of those who died in a crane accident and May Allah (SWT) grant their families the strength to withstand their loss.

 May Allah (SWT) bless all those in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2015, which will be undertaken between September 21 and 26.

PREM SINGH

PRESIDENT

 Fiji Day Celebrations 2015

 Saturday 10th October 2015, starting at 6.30PM

 To be held at St Patrick's College Hall, Kilbirnie, Wellington

 Tickets $15.00 per adult, $40.00 per family (2AD & up to 2 CH ages 5-12 years)

  Includes: Dinner (Lovo, Curry & much more!) Entertainment, Refreshments. Exciting prizes

Tickets available from:
FIA President: Prem Singh - 027 448 1991
Treasurer: Umesh Chandra - 027 242 3313
Secretary: Joti Sharma - 021 525 948

 TISI Sangam Wellington Inc Presents

 Annual Sangam Night 2015

 Saturday 26th September 2015 starting at 7.00PM

 Indian Cultural Hall, Cnr Udy and Nelson Sts, Petone

  Our local live band will be performing at this function. As a community based organisation, we take pleasure in promoting local talents whereby giving them the opportunity and encouragement to perform in front of our own families. No doubt this will assist the performers to pursue their passion for music beyond today.

So please come support us in encouraging our people grow.

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  Melody Makers Live Band, Dinner and Entertainment

Tickets $20 per person, children 10 years & under free

Dinner included, Drinks & Kava available for sale 

 Ticket enquiries - please contact Krishna Gounder - 027 567 9329

 SHE TRUST SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2016

(Tertiary Student Grant)

Applications are being called for a scholarship for women in Lower Hutt City who wish to undertake tertiary education in 2016.

 The SHE TRUST SCHOLARSHIP is available to women who have resided within Lower Hutt City continuously for the last 3 years or have attended a secondary school within Lower Hutt for at least 3 years.

  Project Apna Awaaz

What is this project about?  

This project is an initiative of the Fiji Indian Association Wellington Inc (FIA) to promote safer communities through Education and Awareness Programmes.

This will involve bringing attitudinal change by encouraging intolerance to all kinds of violence in families, and by ensuring members of our community understand its harm and play their part in preventing it.  

Police statistics tells us that there are many kinds of violence committed on a daily basis. Most can be prevented if we seek help and guidance at an early stage from the experts.  

Family violence impacts on everyone in this country whether they are directly involved or not. It is clearly a public issue. What happens in families affects our neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces and communities. The results of violence in families spread right through society. As children grow up within, and become accustomed to, an environment of violence new generations of New Zealanders bear the consequences. 

Family violence has far-reaching social and economic costs. Violence can undermine and destroy individual’s sense of their own worth and a family’s ability to look after and support its members. It can lead to injury, illness, death, and trauma. Lives are wasted and our country is poorer for it in every way.  

But there is hope – family violence is preventable 

Changing the attitudes and the behaviours that have allowed family violence to continue is a priority for our community action. Action to prevent, and ultimately eliminate, family violence needs the co-ordinated efforts of us all. 

Our reward will be a society where people are safe in and outside their homes. Children will grow up in families that are respectful of each member and the benefits of violence-free family life will nourish future generations. 

We will all be better off.  

The aim of this project is to develop volunteers within our community who will be able to provide some initial guidance and direction, on a confidential basis, so that those needing help can reach the experts early.  

 It is our hope that with all your help we will all be able to:  

• promote the message that violence of any nature is unacceptable

• increase community awareness and understanding of the nature, causes and effects of various forms and types of violence in families

• ensure that each person who is aware of situations of violence in families will act promptly and appropriately

• ensure that people experiencing violence in families are aware of what to do to protect themselves, and where to seek help

• reduce the impact of violence portrayed in the range of print, film, video, internet and other media

• promote healthy gender roles and responsibilities, and concept of non-violence

   

How can you contribute?  

To join the project team, or if you would like to volunteer as a community support person, or you want to know more about this project, please contact the President Mr. Prem Singh on 027 448 1991 or the Secretary Jotishna Sharma on 021 525948 of Fiji Association. We are in the process of getting an expert trainer with the help of Ministry of Social Development to run a workshop for community volunteers very soon.  

APNA AWAAZ poster on this FIA website has some agency contact details where help is available. We will be expanding this list as we come to know more of our communities’ needs.  

Please note that people who want to help with eliminating family violence do not need to be specialists or experts. It is a mission for all of us in our community.  

The project team is supported by the Government, including the Police and the Ministry of Development (MSD), to develop this resource in the Fiji Indian community.  There are examples of similar projects, supported by the Government, across many community groups in New Zealand now.  

We need your help to make our communities safer.  

Shanti Narayan 

Convenor and Chairperson 

APNA AWAAZ

Sanjay 0221696598