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Treasure House Children's Home is a children's home located in the city of
Nadi, on
Viti Levu, in the Fiji Islands. It was officially opened in August of
2000, and is an approved Assemblies of God Home of Compassion. It has
received certification from
the Fijian government Social Welfare
Department, and children from birth through age five are placed in
Treasure House by that department. Treasure House provides preschool and
kindergarten teaching to the children who are living there, with the
intent to ultimately find homes for these children. At the present
time, Treasure House has eight Fijian caregivers and ten children, all
of Indian background. Most of the children helped by Treasure House are
Indo-Fijian because Indians have no landowning, communal sharing unit as
do native Fijians where orphaned children are adopted almost immediately
by blood relatives and extended family.
The
daily routine at Treasure House begins at 5:00 am with devotion. During
the day, tots stay in Treasure House, read and play in day room while
school age kids go to school. The children walk to school and take buses
for special events during Easter, Diwali and Christmas. There is a
nap from 12:00 to 2:00 pm and dinner at 5:00 followed by devotion at
7pm. The children go to bed early. School age kids have household chores
and schoolwork, and on weekends there are outings for shopping, picnics
and other activities.
Funding comes from the Fijian government, churches, businesses, and individuals. Their annual budget is $70,000 per year and crucial budget items include housing rental, groceries and wages for caregivers. Wages alone are $40,000 a year.
The
city of Ba, with a population of over 15,000, is located 37 kilometers
from Lautoka and 62 kilometers from Nadi, inland from the coast of Viti
Levu, Fiji's largest
island which has over 70% of the population. It was incorporated in 1939
and is built on the banks of the Ba river, after
which it was named. Ba is an agricultural center, populated mostly by
Indo-Fijians, and is a cultural destination for tourists. The main
industry is sugar
cane and one of the prominent landmarks of the region is the Rarawai
Sugar Mill located on the city outskirts.
Photographs of Treasure
House showing orphans and Fijian Caregivers.
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Mr. Pantas, Hello! I live in Australia and I travel to Fiji regularly with my husband and my two daughters. Before our last trip I felt God urging me to take something to children, specifically to orphans, in Fiji. Knowing nothing at all about the situation there, but realizing that there are displaced children all over the world, I did a google search and found your site, Liza's reef, which I saved in my favorites. The photos of the children and caregivers at the Orphanage spoke to me. I filled a suitcase with clothes, toys, percussion instruments, stationary and a Bible and bought a guitar from my local supplier (I am a muso) and we traveled from our farm here in Victoria Australia to Ba in Fiji and spent some precious moments with the treasure House family. They LOVED the guitar! I hope they play it a lot, their music is gorgeous. Since we have been back home my eldest daughter who is nearly fourteen has begun a variety of fundraising activities including making and selling crafts, to speaking in School Chapel, and has raised money to send over. We are so blessed to have found these treasured children at the House.Both of my daughters are telling their school mates about ways to help.My husband and I will travel back in Feb.2007, and the whole family will go there again in Sept 2007. My name is Jane, and our relationship with treasure House has only just begun for our family, but from the impact in our lives, a wonderful friendship will grow.
I have enjoyed your website so much.
it is an inspiration.
Thank you,
Regards Jane Whitelock-Crosby
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Assemblies of God Website:
Assemblies of God
Email Ulamila Cakau, the Director
Treasure House Mailing Address: Fiji Islands
Physical Address: 7 Fiji Islands,
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The Coral Reef Alliance
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