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His Grace Bishop Suriel, bishop of the archdiocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Melbourne, recently conducted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Saint Mina Children’s Home at Legalega in Nadi.
He was assisted by His Grace Bishop Youssef of the diocese of the Southern USA.
The Home will accommodate 80 children.
It will include a chapel, swimming pool, supermarket, youth centre, pharmacy, priests’ home and a health centre which will be run by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Fiji.
The cost of the project is $15 million.
The Children’s Home was certified by the Minister of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty alleviation on 15th January 2013.
A present it is located in a temporary residence until the new building is complete.
The Home works in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare.
They take care of children in need of care and protection.
St Mina Children’s Home’s mission is to cooperate and collaborate with local authorities and members of the community to offer a new start to disadvantaged children. It aims to make a difference in their lives.
They attempt to provide the children with a proper education, spiritual growth, housing, nutrition and opportunities for them to grow.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Rosy Akbar, said
religious-based organisations have an important role in keeping children safe from any sort of abuse.
“Our children need to be protected from sexual abuse and harassment.
“I want to thank the church for embarking on this project that would bring about positive vibes,” Akbar said.
“We want religious-based organisations to get back those values in homes which can make a big difference in our children lives.
“But first we should start with ourselves and we can become beacons of hope for our society.”
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