STREETKIDS GET SPECIAL SALESIAN DAY
Julian Fox
SUVA: 28th May -- On a day that is declared as a national holiday to commemorate Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, the nation's greatest soldier-statesman, most people leave town and head for the villages. And that leaves the street-kids on the street with no shoes to shine!
The Salesian Formation Community did a quick whip-around the streets at 9.00 a.m. and minutes later had 30 or so kids on board for the National Stadium, generously opened up and free for use through the good offices of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Our novices, who find themselves 'on the street' every Friday night (!), knew most of them, though it was obvious that this time around there were some new faces. Bro 'DJ' Isaia had the loud music in place, while the rest were armed with volley, soccer and rugby balls. The Vinnies turned up at midday with food and drink. By 2 pm in the heat of the afternoon it was siesta time, and time to bring things to a halt.
Next Monday is the Prophet Mohammed's birthday - and Fiji's third public holiday within a fortnight! It's an art form up here. Still, it beats the sort of 'holiday' we all had this time last year, though one did notice that during the dark months of the coup there were no kids on the street. Curfew put an end to that. One wonders.....
