Meet the mental health humanitarians supporting Fijians through COVID-19

Above: A social media advertisement for Empower Pacific’s services.

Mental health and psychosocial support is a crucial part of humanitarian response. But during a crisis, it can sometimes be overlooked in the rush to meet people’s basic needs, like food, water and shelter. Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership’s (AHP) COVID-19 response, Empower Pacific is supporting Fijians grappling with the economic, social and health repercussions of the global pandemic.

Empower Pacific has already been involved in several AHP responses, including to Tropical Cyclones Harold and Yasa, providing direct mental health and psychosocial support to those impacted by disasters.

But the impact of COVID-19 has created unprecedented demand. From the economic tumult as international borders closed last year, to this year’s deadly spike in COVID-19 cases from the highly infectious Delta variant, the pandemic has had a huge impact on the lives of Fijians, including on their mental health. Empower Pacific now fields around 30-40 calls per day on its toll-free counselling helpline.

Maritino Votiva has been working with Empower Pacific for around three and a half years, joining initially as a volunteer while completing his studies through the recommendation of one of his lecturers.

Above: Maritino Votiva, a counsellor with Empower Pacific. Photo: Supplied

“When I was rostered in to Empower Pacific, I felt really fortunate to be on the Australian Humanitarian Partnership team, going to places I’ve never been before in Fiji, and going with teams to support those affected by disasters straight away,” he said.

“Before COVID I was going to the maritime islands for two to three weeks to give support, and then travelling back. When COVID started it was a different story, and something we didn’t expect in terms of demand on our services. Now we are operating a 24-hour counselling helpline service, and clients are referred to counsellors who are on call during those times.”

Maritino said that COVID-19 had impacted clients in many different ways, from financial stress, to health worries, isolation and grief.

“Families were just not expecting something like this to happen, with COVID-19,” he said.

“For example, one client had a great job, lots of good things going on, but with the tourism sector shut down he lost his work and just didn’t know what to do. We scheduled talks about how to work things out. Thankfully he’s now managed to move into other areas for work and find other good things to focus on.”

Lockdowns have led to an increase in gender-based violence, and Empower Pacific counsellors and social workers have referral pathways with other providers to connect clients with support or legal services. Loss of livelihoods and jobs has been a driver, Maritino says, but one positive has been more men reaching out for help to manage their fears and frustrations.

“They are now coming out of their shells, they are understanding they can come and talk and share in a confidential environment and can be vulnerable,” he said.

“Men are wanting to provide for their families but they don’t have enough, and they are hurting when they see their families going without. They are feeling unsure of what to do. We give them that moral support.”

Empower Pacific has also partnered with the Fiji Ministry of Health to provide counselling services to those in hotel quarantine or home quarantine, including health workers who have had to isolate after being exposed to positive cases, or who have been working away from family for extended periods.

“Some enjoyed [the quarantine period], if they were more introverted, but for many it was a real challenge being alone in a room for two weeks, only waiting for meals three times a day. Some said it was a feeling like they were in prison. So through our services we were reaching out, having that conversation with them, and bringing some normalcy into their lives in quarantine,” Maritino said.

Children and young people have also needed support due to the significant disruption to school and study.

“They are bored at home and have so much time on their hands, so we try to support them in channelling their energy,” Maritino said.

“Over the past two years this generation of students in Fiji have had school put on hold and started again, on hold and restarted again, now a long hold, so it’s been a real challenge for them.”

Fiji’s LGBTIQ+ community has faced unique challenges, and through its partnership with Rainbow Pride Foundation, Empower Pacific has provided targeted counselling.

“Some, including transgender individuals, are having to move back home to family due to livelihood issues and losing work, and sometimes that is taking them back to a situation where they are more vulnerable than when they were living independently. We have been trying to support them in building themselves back up,” Maritino said.

Above: Aarti Akaansha, a counsellor with Empower Pacific. Photo: Supplied

Financial pressures are pushing more families back to living under the same roof, and support in navigating those relationships has been an area of high demand, says Aarti Akaansha, also a counsellor with Empower Pacific.

“There are families who were renting because they had a job, but they had to come back to their in-laws or parents place, and they are seen as a burden for not putting food on the table, and they are struggling with that,” Aarti said.

“For example, I had a client who was renting a home with a partner, and her mother-in-law wasn’t supportive of the relationship, but because they lost their jobs due to COVID, they had to move back to her house. Because of the grudge in the relationship, the mother-in-law was setting all the rules, which meant the client and her four-month-old baby would sometimes be locked out of the house for hours and hours and there was a lot of tension.”

In situations like this, Aarti and other counsellors refer clients to HART homes (Housing Assistance and Relief Trust). HART homes provide security and shelter to vulnerable families in times of need, however, demand is currently high.

Lockdown and isolation has also had a big impact on those who were already experiencing depression or other mental health concerns, Aarti said.

“There’s people who are anxious from seeing the news, or adapting to the new way of living, and patients with pre-existing depression have these flare ups, because their ways of coping were going out and about and now they are put in these lockdown circumstances,” she said.

It also makes it harder for those dealing with grief, Aarti said.

“People usually get rid of loneliness by seeing other people, but during lockdown when you can’t hang out with other people, the memories are there but you don’t have that kind of distraction, and you have to re-evaluate coping strategies. As counsellors we have to look at things these people can still do, like their hobbies, and things they enjoy doing like gardening or connecting with people on the phone.”

Self-care is crucial for counsellors too, especially with the increased caseload and new ways of working.

“I have a little one at home so it is challenging!” Maritino said. “I’m trying to find the space to work without getting interrupted. But I am thankful that the team has adapted to provide these services to people. Self-care and good supervision is key.”

“Workwise we have a clinical supervisor who is always available, for me I would say good social support at home is really important too, after a stressful day,” Aarti said.

Both Aarti and Maritino are passionate about their work, and say the increased demand for services is a good thing.

“For example, one night, midnight I was asleep, and a call came from the helpline. This client had received news he was COVID-positive, and his soon-to-be wife had just passed away from COVID. It was about just being there in that moment, listening, and helping them,” Maritino said.

“You can never put a price on that, seeing a client come through something like that and eventually, being able to move forward.”

Aarti agrees.

“It was quite challenging, with the increase in demand, but I felt good that people were coming to us, as they needed our support. So I felt good when I saw the numbers [of clients] going up. When you are passionate about your work, it helps!”

As the current outbreak in Fiji slows down and vaccination rates rise, people are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“There would be times we didn’t even want to see the numbers and how it was going, it was a trend we felt a bit out of control of, so we focused on just getting through our day. But with vaccination and things potentially opening up in stages, the pathway we are working towards, there’s more hope now,” Maritino said.

“Especially after talking to us, people become quite hopeful, seeing that people are getting vaccinated and seeing a date for the borders to open, especially for those who might have partners overseas or might be stuck here,” Aarti said.

For Aarti, holding on to a positive mindset, even in challenging circumstances, is her number one piece of advice for clients.

“Sometimes it is the mindset that causes other issues. But if you think positive, you may be able to find a way through.”

“We are really thankful of the partnership with AHP for supporting these services for people, who before did not know they could access them, for free, and get this support,” Maritino said.

Those in Fiji seeking support can call or text Empower Pacific on the toll-free hotline by dialling 5626.

Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership, Empower Pacific is supported by ChildFund Australia under the Plan International Australia consortium.