LEADERSHIP FIJI, has established a Leadership Fiji Community Fund (LFCF).
The goal of the Fund is to take advantage of our Leadership Fiji Alumni network (over 430) and our 20 year history of taking action in the community through charitable projects.
LFCF will receive and manage funding from organizations, donors, aid funds, LF Alumni (LFA), and individuals to support and fund life-changing community developments by making a positive social impact for Fiji’s communities and further to:
- Empower communities to be self-sufficient;
- Facilitate the development of community based initiatives and projects;
- Provide scholarships for disadvantaged developing leaders to participate in programs supported or endorsed by LF; and
- Offer continued development opportunities for Leadership Fiji Alumni members through its Annual Summit.
Led by our LF Alumni members, the LFCF Committee has already undertaken a number of community projects including the purchase and delivery of a tractor and plough worth $40,000 to Montfort Boys Town, support of TEDx Suva events and scholarships to participants in the Leadership Fiji signature Program.
LFCF Chairperson, Mr Rajesh Patel, at the launch said, “This could not have come at a better time. COVID-19 has presented a lot of challenges for Fiji, and LFCF is one of the ways for our LF Alumni members to give back. Our goal is to focus on small grants of F$5,000 to F$10,000 recognising this is an area that larger donor organisations find difficult to support. This is an important new initiative for the Leadership Fiji community, and it comes at a critical time for Fiji”.
Thanks to the support of the Parkinson Pacific Foundation (PPF) and contributions from the various Leadership Fiji year groups who have donated leftover funds from their respective Fellows community projects we are able to announce that we have $160,000 to potentially distribute. Based on successful distribution of these funds, the PPF has committed to donating a minimum of $70,000 per annum to the fund over the next three years.
Commenting on behalf of the PPF William Parkinson said “he was hoping that other Fijian donors and philanthropists would see this as a great way of making a difference in these difficult times in an effective and transparent manner.”
Patel said, “we have a good Committee and look forward to receiving applications for community-based projects. As you are probably aware, we challenge each participating Leadership Fiji year group, to put leadership into action by taking on these community project initiatives in order to graduate. The LFCF will provide our LF Alumni with the opportunity to continue this work.”
“LFCF builds on our belief that leadership is about taking action and solving problems”, Patel added.
The LFCF Committee members are: Rajesh Patel LF2002 (Chairperson), Thelma Savua LF2003, Anare Manulevu LF2005, Ritesh Ratiram LF2017, Talei Tuitoga LF2018 and Ioane Nawaikula LF2009 and LF Program Coordinator, as Committee Secretary.
Leadership Fiji (LF), is an independent, non-partisan, non-aligned entity that was launched following the political upheaval of 2000. Its vision is to develop and enhance the quality of future leaders in Fiji.
LF Chief Executive Officer Sharyne Fong said, “we hope that LFCF will provide our Alumni with the opportunity to continue to connect via the community projects and activities for which we have become known for. We currently have over 430 Alumni Members from a variety of backgrounds holding prominent leadership roles across Fiji and the Pacific.”
“2021 will mark our 20th Anniversary and so this initiative is a great way to celebrate this achievement by making a real difference at a time when we all need to work together as Fijians”, Fong added.
The Leadership Fiji Program in its inception in 2002, will be turning 20 years old in the coming year of 2021. To commemorate the 20 years of community work that has transpired under its wings in the past years and the empowerment of past Alumnus that have attended the LF Program, Leadership Fiji will also be announcing its preparations at the 2021 Program Launch.
The LF Community Fund is ready to receive applications for funding in the following areas of; Child Development, Education, Food & Nutrition, Animal Protection, Development and Protection of Women and families, Leadership Training, Promoting Democracy, Free exchange of ideas/knowledge and Sustainable Community Environmental Projects. The Call for Proposal Application Form is available online on our website www.leadershipfiji.org
The Leadership Fiji Community Fund Launch was held at the Leadership Fiji Home, 6 Denison Road, at 10am, Wednesday 5th August 2020.
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