RABI: Island kids elope

[Stacey King]

FIJI TIME ONLINE - Monday, July 13, 2009
KINSHIP betrothals, poverty and missing parents are giving rise to an increase in girls as young as 14 years eloping on Rabi Island. Rabi Council chairman Bauro Vanualailai said the social problem was a major issue leaders were struggling to cope with.

"Our children are not finishing school and running away together from Rabi High School," he said.

Statistics at the island's health centre showed three Form Five students and a third former from the high school got pregnant this year.

"We had about 20 cases last year of girls younger than 18 years of age being pregnant and already living in defacto relationships with the men they eloped with," an official from the health centre said.

"We have an increase in cases towards the end of the school terms."

Mr Vanualailai said initial assessment of surveys he carried out revealed kinship betrothals or te kabwakabwa – matchmaking for youngsters early in life – was one of the main reasons for the high rate of children eloping.

"Some youngsters, who are still in school and know that they are betrothed, and elope," he said.

"This leads to many single mothers or teenage pregnancies on the island and there is a sense of hopelessness because of illiteracy. Children who elope are not forced to get back into school and the trend continues."

Another major cause is children left unmonitored while their parents drink kava or join festivities.

"Banaban people love gathering. When they gather it's evident when there is a lack of monitoring of children," he said.

Mr Vanualailai said some parents "stayed out of home all the time to escape the poverty at home."

"They are out fishing or planting whole day and come home tired and go out drinking kava," he said.

The island's social welfare department and island police have been asked to carry out a thorough survey of the problem and come up with statistics before the coucil can adopt policies to address the situation.

"This is happening so our mitigation option rests on the studies that will be carried out."

[Terenga. Sukong]

Yeah, I understand that life is like that, our childrens may face those kind of situation in their lives, but we as parents should encourage them that the door of study is still there for them. Even thou they are married but we should encourage them that there will still be a chance for them to continue with their education. Never know, may be when they study while they are married may be a better one because they will never think of any thing else, they will only focus on their studies. But anyway life is like that.

[Roba]

Sad to hear this but then every issue can have a solution.I suggest that a class like Family Institute should be taught at the school to help the kids understand the importance of raising a family.