Jane-Joyce Doolan has described her time in Fiji offering once in a lifetime aid to children as hugely worthwhile and something she will remember and treasure forever.
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Jane spent eight days in several Fijian villages visiting schools, hospitals and churches and distributed hundreds of shoeboxes filled with items common children would take for granted.
Jane is Cowra’s coordinator of Operation Christmas Child – a program operated by humanitarian aid organisation Samaritan’s Purse.
She was selected as part of a 10-person team, following 12 years’ involvement with Operation Christmas Child.
Jane described the villages she visited in Fiji as remote and the living conditions as very basic.
“Some houses were like tin shacks. It was quite distressing and very basic compared to what we have,” Jane said.
Jane and the team distributed shoeboxes to children ranging from two-years-old to 14-years-old in five different villages.
Boxes were handed out, a five-second countdown followed and then a buzz of excitement was all you could hear, Jane said.
Making the moment more special was the fact Jane was able to giveaway some of the shoeboxes she had put together herself.
“I was able to say I packed this box for you. I brought it all the way from Australia for you,” Jane said.
“The kids are so grateful, so ecstatic. They were singing everywhere we went. That was a highlight because I love singing. They were singing beautiful songs with beautiful voices.”
Some of the most popular items included sunglasses, Lego, marbles and small toy cars.
“You give them something and think it is such a simple little thing but they’re so grateful and they give you hugs and high-fives, it was really beautiful.”
Jane and the team spent time visiting two kindergarten schools that had been rebuilt by Samaritan’s Purse after being destroyed by cyclones last year.
They also went to a prison and gave boxes to children of prison guards.
“It was a thrill. It was really worth while, something I’ll always remember and treasure forever,” she said.
Last year 346,592 boxes were packed out of Australia and New Zealand, 678 came from Cowra.
Jane thanked Berryl Bell of the Presbyterian Church, Cowra for her support the past 15 years. Berryl has been making up to 170 boxes each year during that time.
Jane has already sorted 40 boxes since returning to Cowra on Monday, March 13 and plans to get them to the processing centre soon.
She will be attending the Operation Christmas Child state conference on May 5 and 6, which launches the program for the next 12 months.
For more information about Operation Christmas Child and to find out how you can get involved contact Jane on 63424997 or 0411812155 or Trish Cusack on 0438423873.
