Church Service for Victims of Illness. 17/5/10
A Memorial service was conducted yesterday to commemorate the lives of three members of FJN+ who succumbed to AIDS-related illnesses this year.
17 May 2010
A Memorial service was conducted yesterday to commemorate the lives of three members of FJN+ who succumbed to AIDS-related illnesses this year.
The FJN+ candlelight ceremony was held at the Raiwai Methodist Church where church members gathered to show support for the cause.
Church leaders from the Raiwai circuit also pledged their support for the fight against HIV/AIDS by lighting candles at the service.
FJN+ vice president, Joeli Colati said recent statistics showed there were 320 confirmed HIV/AIDS cases in Fiji.
Mr Colati said three of their members passed away this year.
He said so far ten members had died from HIV/AIDS but there were many others who had died without being recorded by the Ministry of Health or FJN+.
At the church service a person living with HIV/AIDS said she wanted her peers to help raise awareness of the issue.
She said she believed there was no cure for the disease except for people's belief in God.
She encouraged her peers to listen to the words of advice from their elders so that they did not fall prey to the virus.
Meanwhile Reverend James Bhagwan said more work needed to be done in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
He was part of the group of church leaders who gathered to show their support for those who suffered from HIV/AIDS and for those working to raise awareness of the illness