HOUSE OF SARAH "Transforming the lives of those who come seeking help"

JANUARY- JUNE 2018

Welcome to the first issue of the House ofSarah (HoS) newsletter for 2018. A lot has happened since our lastnewsletter. First we are now in a newlocation. We've moved from 6 Des Vouex Rdto 7-11 Des Vouex Rd. It is just across theroad. We are on the ground floor of the MoanaAnglican Services and Teaching centre;MAST for short. A photo of the new officeis on the back page. Welcome to the newstaff: Alisi, Jone, Ema, Sua, Josefata andChristina.

Bula Vinaka, Talofa lava, Malo e lelei, Namaste

NEW PROJECT TEAMCHRISTIAN NETWORK TALANOA SARAH CARERSHOS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE MOVE TO MAST (NEW SPACE)FAREWELL

WHAT YOU'LL FIND INSIDE:

HoS New Logo

HOORAY! We have a new logo. We thank Greenhouse Studio for helping todesign our new brand. Why was the hand chosen? The hand communicatesour core business: providing a listening ear, a warm heart and a helping hand.

ABOUT THE LOGO The hand is the most frequently symbolized part of the human body. It gives blessing, it is expressive. According to Aristotle, the hand is the “tool of tools.”In general it is strength, power and protection. However, it can just as easilymean generosity, hospitality and stability; “lend a hand”. It is used in gesturesof greeting and friendship. The main color is orange that reflects thesunrise. For flexibility, the colour can be changed for special occasions such asEaster, Fiji Day and Christmas

NEWSLETTER 1

Preventing Violence against Women in Fiji's Faith settings Team Josefata, Alisi, Sua, Ema & Jone

This year the House of Sarah commenced its work on prevention of

violence against women. With support from both the Fiji Women's

Fund and the UN Women Fiji Multi- country Office (UNW-FMCO),

work in the three communities at St. Mark's, Newtown; St.

Michael's & All Angels in Matata and St. John's in Wailoku

commenced in April. "We are adapting the SASA! Faith prevention

model to our context", said Rev. Sereima Lomaloma, Chairperson of

the HoS Management Committee. "It enables the communities to

examine their attitudes, beliefs, actions and the way they relate to

one another and the way they use power to influence and control."

said Sereima. "The project, Preventing Violence in Fiji's Faith

Settings (PVAWFFs) will span 4 years. New staff have been

recruited for the project.

We welcome to the new team: Alisi Qaiqaica, Team Leader; Jone

Tuiwaiwai and Ema Asioli are Project officers; Josefata Waqalala,

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning staff; Mereani Naisua Tora,

Administrative Assitant.

Preventing Violence in our Faith Communities

JAN-JUN 2018 ISSUE 1

Break the Silence Sunday

This year Break the Silence Sunday will be on 25November which is the beginning of the 16 Days ofActivism on Violence against Women that lasts until 10December. The Christian Talanoa Network is alreadypreparing the liturgical resources for the day. We thank the Fiji Council of Churches for theirpartnership in ensuring that the member churchesobserve Break the Silence Sunday. Mili Fong continues in the secretariat role for the CTN.

CHRISTIAN TALANOA NETWORK (CTN)

Collaboration of Multi-Faith Leaders

On 29 January the Women of Faith Talanoa was held at the MAST. This is the first meeting of women from diverse faith communities in Fiji. Forty four women came. The talanoa focused on possible actions that they could work together on to mark the 16 Days of Activism and other possible collaborative strategies of ending violence against women (VAW). Following on from the inaugural meeting, leaders from the Muslim and Hindu faiths have agreed to work together with leaders from the Christian faith to speak out against gender-based violence and promote safe homes and communities. Keep a watch out for this space. Before the end of the year we will bring you the latest on the collaboration amongst our faith leaders including women leaders saying publicly: Violence Destroys Homes/Families.

Changing/ Shifting Social Norms The project Preventing Violence in Fiji's Faith settings is targeting social norms. Using an adapted version of the S.A.S.A (Start, Awareness, Support and Action) Faith programme of community mobilisation to transform knowledge, attitudes, values. It also examines behaviour of individuals, their relations, organised groups (women,men, youths, sports etc.) including media and educational programmes and decision making structures, rules, procedures, governance and management processes. The PVAWFFs team are already holding workshops in the three selected Anglican faith communities/parishes. "We are now at the stage of enabling the community activists to roll out their work in the communities. Last year we looked at the norm women should be submissive to men. We will expand that this year", said Alisi the Team Leader. HoS thanks UNWomen FMCO for bringing in Robyn Yaker and Farrah Kelly to provide technical assistance to the team and Fiji Women's Fund for their support.

Preventing Violence against Women in Fiji's Faith settings (PVAWFFs)

Women of Faith Talanoa- 29 Jan 2018

PVAWFFs workshop at St. Michael & All Angels Parish Matata, Lami

Meeting of CTN members

"Gender-based Violence is a SIN!"

-Fiji Council of Churches

JAN-JUN 2018 ISSUE 1

We welcome Christina Tearawa as the Sarah Carers'

Support and Link staff. Sarah Carers are selected trained

women who provide a listening ear, a warm heart and a

helping hand to victims/survivors of gender based

violence in their local parishes and communities. This

year we made a commitment to extend this service to the

north and the west. Christina and Esita Vuki visited

Naviavia, Savusavu and Labasa in April for some

awareness raising workshops. In June the same

workshop was held in Lautoka for the women in the west

and Suva at the end of June. A total of 70 women were

introduced to the work of a Sarah Carer. From this

group, a smaller number will be attending a workshop on

gender issues in August that will be resourced by the Fiji

Women's Crisis Centre (FWCC).

SARAH CARERS

"Male and females, we are created equally by God in God's image!"

-Fiji Council of Churches

Meet the members of the House of Sarah Management

Committee:

HOUSE OF SARAH MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Revd. Sereima Lomaloma- Chair, Marama Tuisawau, Revd.Sue

Halapua, Vishika Gohil, Monica Raghwan, Ariela Zibia, Miliana

Fong, Esita Vuki, Mereani Senibici  & 

Caroline Chambers-Torovugalei 

Caroline Marama

Esita Ariella

Ariella

Ari

Mili Vishika Monica

Sarah Carers' workshop at St. Matthew'sNabua

Sarah Carers' workshop at St. Thomas Parish Labasa

On 18 May, Revd Fili Lilo, General Secretary of the

Church Leaders Forum in Tonga and Polotu Fakafanua-

Paunga, Deputy CEO of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

visited the HoS to learn about our work with

the churches on the elimination of violence against

women.

VISITORS TO THE HOUSE OF SARAH

On 17 May, five participants from the FWCC Regional

Training Program visited the House of Sarah.

JAN-JUN 2018 ISSUE 1

NEW SPACE AT THE MAST

"How can we say we are saved if our women and children are not safe?

Violence against women and children is not the way of Christ, It is a SIN!"

-Fiji Council of Churches

At the beginning of this year we said farewell to Nai Cokanasiga,Tupou Vere and Jenny Moore.

Thank you for your dedication, inspiration and service with theHouse of Sarah.

Rev Ann Drummond- Thank you to our friend and collegue Annfor joining us for 3 weeks in June. Ann returned home on 4 July

and we are looking forward to her next visit.

FAREWELL

Thursdays in Black encourages everyone,men and women, to wear black everyThursday. This can be a campaign T-shirt,other black clothing or simply a campaignbadge as a sign of support. Wearing blackon Thursdays shows others that you aresaying no to violence against women.

Thursdays in BLACK

House of Sarah

Ground Level, Moana Anglican Services and Teaching (MAST) centre, Suva FIJI

PH: +679 3100665 | Email: admin@houseofsarah.org

On 6 June, Sereima joined Shamima Ali of FWCC and

Jope Tarai of USP in a webinar that was organised by the

European Commission office in Suva. Others included

'Ofa-ki-Levuka Guttenbeil of Tonga and Anne Kautu of

Kiribati. The panel was moderated by Tara Chetty for an

audience in Brussels.The topic was "Hidden Face of

Paradise : transforming social norms to end violence in

the Pacific.

European Development Days webinar

New Office space at MAST

Photo Credit: UN Women Fiji Multi-Country Office

That's us joining an international

campaign of advocacy and solidarity

against rape and violence and all

forms of gender-based violence.