FIJI: Little Comfort in Old Age

SUVA, FIJI (Fiji Times), November 9, 2005: Once again at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we will come together to pay our respects to those who fought for Fiji in the Great War (1914-1918), World War II (1939-1945), the Malayan Campaign (1952-1956) and those who served on peace missions across the globe. The call by the chiefs and country during the war forced these then young men to leave their families, their homes and everything they were doing at the time to fight for the modicum of peace we enjoy today. After World War II, veterans were rewarded with a white uniform, a cane knife, a spade a digging fork and told to return to their villages to farm. Colonial government officials and Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna presented the tools to the young men who had willingly endured hardships so we could enjoy peace today. Now, decades later, these same men, not so young any more, are asking the Government to increase their pension from $66 a month to match the increasing cost of living — and rightly so. Home Affairs Minister Josefa Vosanibola said one of the secrets of the fine reputation our forces earned overseas was because they were all volunteers. "The voluntarism of those we honour today, showed itself through the initiative they displayed in action," he said. The wars touched the lives of the people — as fathers and sons were killed in action while others were wounded and the rest returned with the physical and mental scars of wars ... sometimes too painful to recall. So the least the Government can do today is to ensure our veterans have a pension that allows them to enjoy the remaining years of their lives in the dignity they have surely earned. I am sure it is not an impossible or unrealistic request. Fiji Council of Social Service executive director Hassan Khan says it is time the Government rethought its approach to pensions and considered the option of social protection. "Establishing social protection packages including social safety nets, appropriate legislative measures and livelihood promotion can be an important contribution to ending this cycle of extreme poverty and of realising the rights of the poorest and most vulnerable in Fiji, including our ex-servicemen. "The need for social protection is becoming more acute as traditional support structures are eroded by the impact of globalisation, conflict, migration, destruction of the family systems and the deployment of our young people on overseas peacekeeping missions. "The 2006 Budget and previous allocations have targeted ex-servicemen and homes for old people; this is good, as allocations need to increase. "However, questions that need to be raised are whether small increases meet the need of the elderly ex-servicemen and the majority of the older persons who have provided equally important 'services' to the nation through the rearing of children, as parents, farmers, skilled persons and grandparents. "They appear to be the forgotten ones. $66 a month is a paltry sum considering most of the older persons are burdened with responsibilities of parenting grandchildren, and meeting traditional obligations. "Voluntary community welfare and government agencies have spent years working out ways of how not to give money directly to the poor. "This approach is essentially based on a false premise that poor people will misuse money and are unable to invest in decisions to improve their quality of life. "But there is a growing body of evidence that this is not the case and when poor and vulnerable people have the means, they rise out of the most extreme poverty as the micro-finance program is showing. "So government needs to invest in comprehensive social protection packages, a policy which has worked successfully across Europe by ending extreme deprivation through welfare provision. "The poorest, particularly the elderly, experience a lack of voice, are often socially excluded and vulnerable to a variety of risks. "In Fiji, the incidence of poverty is higher among children and older people than it is among the general population. "Older people and children can, in fact, be the biggest indirect beneficiaries of social protection systems. "The time is right for Fiji to do a comprehensive study so the very poorest families are correctly identified. "The question, though, is whether there is political will and commitment to realise social protection as a right for all," said Mr Khan. Fiji Labour Party former Assistant Home Affairs Minister Gaffar Ahmed said in 1999 when the People's Coalition was in government, it put up a plan to increase pensions for ex-servicemen. "We had not reached a particular figure when the coup happened so nothing eventuated," Mr Ahmed said. "But I agree, older citizens of this country need to be looked after well regardless of whether they are ex-servicemen. "These people dedicated their services for mankind and deserve at least $300 to $500 a month. "Most of these servicemen do not have any dependents, their children have neglected them, and these men are left in rural areas," he said. Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said ex-servicemen had a choice of accepting the pension or opting for Social Welfare destitute allowances. "The pension for soldiers purely depends on the goodwill of the Government and on how much their services were valued. "World War II soldiers served between 1939 and 1954, which is five years, and while some returned to teach, others went back to their villages. "The Government should be able to increase the allowances from $66 because there are only a few of them left." Mr Rabuka said the veterans had children they were looking after them but needed money the most because most used walking sticks and needed allowances for eye-glasses, medications and bus fares. Former Great Council of chiefs chairman Ratu Epeli Ganilau agreed with veterans that the amount they received was barely enough to live on. "Pensions should be reviewed with the cost of living adjustment similar to the civil service. "These are people who are dwindling in numbers and who have delivered excellent services for our country, so we need to show our gratitude to them for their sacrifices. "It is ridiculous to expect these veterans to live on $66. That is what many people spend in a day," he said. Ex-servicemen's Association general secretary Simione Vosawale said they were struggling to make ends meet. "People receiving less than $150 are classed as living below the poverty line so one just has to make their own calculations to realise our plight. "At the time when we answered the calling to go to war it was the expectations of our chiefs and vanua that we valued. "We were unconcerned with money when we answered the call of the chiefs and vanua. "For me, I left school at 15 and took off to Malaya. "But the pride in that calling is something that has remained with us all this time and will remain with us for the rest of our days. "However, with the cost of food and bills escalating by the day, we are asking the Government to consider our plight. "There are only 1900 of us left but most are over 70 years and we do not have long to live," he said. For the sake of these brave men, through whose efforts we now enjoy a semblance of peace in our part of the world, let us, therefore, not take their sacrifices for-granted at a time when they need us most. We salute them for their courage and honour them this Remembrance Day as we reflect on their selfless services rendered for peoples they did not and will not ever know. Your sacrifices have not been in vain — we all have been truly blessed by your sacrifices and courage. May God bless you all. By Verenaisi Raicola Fiji Times Limited Copyright © 2005.