Links Fiji works to improve people's health via education and medical assistance creating real change in basic and preventative health issues.

We are a Not-For-Profit organisation registered in Fiji with a focus on preventative health care. Sadhana Smiles is the Founder and we are supported by many local businesses in Fiji and Australia.

Our Vision

Our vision is to create real change across the community and improve health through education, preventative health care and the provision of world-class medical assistance. We aim to engage people through everyday institutions such as places of worships, schools and village elders.

Our Goals

To establish education programs focused on women's health - with an initial emphasis on the detection, prevention and treatment of breast and cervical cancer - delivered through the use of simple, accessible and culturally-accepted communication tools that encourage community learning.

To run regular Outreach clinics to remote areas of Fiji, testing women for breast & cervical cancer as well as advising on and treating general health issues across the entire community.

To provide families of terminally ill children with the opportunity to create long lasting, happy memories of their time together though participation in our "Bluesky Magic" program.

Events

"Best, funniest and worst" by Melanie Dennis - click to download PDF

FACTS & FIGURES

Cervical cancer is the 2nd most frequent cancer in women aged 15–144 years

52% of women officially diagnosed die

87% of women we have seen since 2008 have never had a pap smear

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I WANT WHAT SHE’S HAD

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About us

The Links Fiji founder Sadhana Smiles was born in Suva Fiji and currently lives in Sydney Australia.

In 2008 Sadhana formed the Links Fiji to focus on health and education. "If we can teach the youth what the basic health issues are in Fiji and how to keep themselves healthy we would see less sick people at our outreach programs".

"There is also a critical need to educate women in particular on the importance of pap smears and breast exams; there are far too many cases being diagnosed too late or not at all. Education is one of the mediums we can use and our aim is to work in association with the government, local council and hospitals."

Sadhana's inspiration was Leba a 39 year old who died of cervical cancer leaving behind 7 children. She had a regular pap smear however was unable to afford the $2 bus fare to return to the clinic to obtain her results. As a result 2 years later when she did return it was too late. Sadhana promised Leba to look after her children but also use her story to ensure that women all over Fiji understand the importance of pap smears and follow up their results.

Our Bluesky Magic program sends children who have terminal diseases away for a weekend in a local hotel. The Bluesky Magic program was an inspired by Luisa who died of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Luisa simply wanted to live, grow up and be a nurse, sadly her this was not to be the case. When we met her at Lautoka hospital we realised that we could provide families some special time away. We have since refurbished two rooms for families to spend their last days with their children in private enabling them to say goodbye with dignity.

Why we do it

We can make a difference! Poverty is not just about a lack of money. Rather it is about poor education and health, lack of opportunities as well as socio-economic disadvantage and related self esteem issues. Cervical and breast cancer is prevalent in Fiji and diabetes and high blood pressure is at epidemic proportions. The impact of these illnesses on poor communities, with no social safety net, can be profound. The loss of a parent in many Fijian households can mean the difference between food on the table and destitution.

Poverty also has a greater impact on the health of women and the young. Links Fiji places a special focus on providing health care and advice to women of all ages within the community. Among other things we are able to create sustainable long term change by testing and teaching people about basic health care, importance of pap smears and breast exams and regular testing for blood pressure and diabetes.

The next generation of the South Pacific is entitled to basic health care and education and we can go a long way to ensuring this happens.

Family history

Sadhana's Grandfather Patan was bought out from India with his family at the age of 8 in 1905 to work as an indentured labourer. The system was an alternate source of labour for the British Empire; it had been used successfully in other countries like Mauritius, Uganda and Nigeria.

Many say this is how the British reinvented slavery.

The initial period was for 5 years with the promise of paid passage back home. However if you were not an adult your indentue period was re-signed after the first 5 years.

The first labourers arrived in 1875 and in 1882 CSR Colonial Sugar Refinery which was an Australian run company set up its first sugar mill in Nausori. Families were housed in "lines" which in size were 10ft by 7ft.

The SS Fultala was the 50th ship to arrive with approximately 827 passengers of which Sadhana's grandfather was one of them. A total of 60,965 labourers were bought out to Fiji.

All indenture was cancelled in 1920 and approximately 60% of the gimitiers decided to stay.

There have been many stories documented on the living conditions and the treatment of these labourers however Patan was a man of great vision, determination and courage. He leased landed which he successfully farmed, educated all his 12 children, sent two of them to Australia for education. He was the first man to obtain a bus drivers license in his village and own a shop.

He was a man of firsts, great vision and pushed the boundaries, he was gentle and kind. The clinic is built on his land and his spirit provides us with the motivation and determination to continue to make a difference.

If you can't make a difference on this planet then where will you, if the right time isn't now then when is it and if its not you then who!

Achievements

2015 Trip:
Saw a total fo 411 patients - 323 female and 88 male.
• 172 pap smears (51% of these had never had a pap smear).

2014 Trip:
Saw a total fo 246 patients - 157 female and 89 male.
• 80 pap smears (80% of these had never had a pap smear).

2013 Trip:
Saw a total fo 393 patients - 248 female and 145 male.
• 136 pap smears (47% of these had never had a pap smear).

2011 Trip:
Saw a total fo 558 patients - 359 female and 199 male.
• 61% of women had never had a pap smear (222) 10 with abnormal results.

2010 Trip to Savusavu and Labasa:
Saw a total fo 624 patients - 417 female and 207 male.
• 38% of women had never had a pap smear
• 23% had either only had one or it had been more than 2 years since their last one
• 4 women we discovered with breast lumps
• 1 was terminal
• 118 cases of high blood pressure or diabetes were treated
• 50 of these were brand new cases we treated then referred to local health centre

2009 Trip to Vanua Levu in association with Fiji Aid International, we saw 300 patients, 80% of the women had never had a pap smear, we found many new cases of high blood pressure and diabetes. This trip was done in association with the Savusavu Foundation.

2008 Dr Animesh Sinha from US and Nurse Catherine Lefebvre from Australia spent 2 weeks in Fiji and again saw over 500 patients. We were provided with funding to run an outreach program to a remote island in the Pacific.

2007 Dr Animesh Sinha from US and Nurse Catherine Lefebvre from Australia spent 2 weeks in Fiji and saw over 300 patients.

2006 Dr Falks - ER Doctors from the US spent 3 weeks in Fiji, we ran a number of outreach programs and saw over 500 patients.

2005 Dr Anand Maharaj, a Gynaecologist, and Nurse Cath Lefebvre, both from Australia, volunteered for 2 weeks and saw over two hundred women many of whom had never had a pap smear or breast exams.

2004 Dr Nemana a cardiologist from the Kaiser Hospital in Sacramento spent a month in Fiji and conducted a pacemaker surgery - a first ever in Fiji.

Our Special Patient

Leba

We first met Leba at Koropita where she was in her final stages of cervical cancer. Leba was lying naked on her mattress covered by a thin sheet, keeping cool with a fan, in severe pain and unable to afford pain medication or dressings. We provided her with all that was necessary to get her through the last few months with as much dignity as possible.

Sadly Leba did have regular pap smears. However in 2004, unable to afford a $2 bus fare, she did not follow up on her results. By the time she next went to the doctor it was too late. Her husband died soon after she was diagnosed.

Leba passed away on the 22nd of November 2008. She left behind 7 children. Our trust is assisting and funding the education of the children and meeting some of their basic daily needs.

Majority of women in Fiji do not have regular pap smears or breast exams mainly due to a lack of education on the importance of these tests and fear. Links Fiji aims to develop an education program on the importance of these tests and the need to follow up on results.

My trips to Fiji have been rewarding and challenging given the scale of the medical plight faced by our island neighbours. The reward as a volunteer nurse has come from knowing that we have made a real impact on people’s lives and we only achieve this through the generous support of others. Nurse Catherine Lefebvre

Bluesky Magic

The inspiration of "Bluesky Magic" came when we met Luisa a 16 year old who died of AML. Luisa's wish was very simple, in her first conversation with Sadhana she simply asked "make the cancer go away". Sadly we could not make this wish come true.

What we were able to do, however, was to send her on a helicopter ride with her family. They all had a fabulous time and we were able to create memories for the family that did not associate with hospitals, illness or death.

Luisa lost her battle with AML on Wednesday 10th of December 2008.

The Bluesky Magic program runs out of the Hospitals. Lautoka hospital now has two Bluesky Magic rooms for palliative and special needs patients. We are seeking alliances with local businesses and sponsors for this very special program. We work with kids in the children's ward who are in palliative care. We are limited to what we can provide in Fiji however weekends at 5 star resorts, boat trips, helicopter rides are examples of what we can do.

Stories of some of our Bluesky magic kids

A young 14 year old whose wish was to remain anonymous died of bone cancer 2 weeks before her 15th Birthday, her wish was to see the age of 15. They had a fabulous weekend at the Westin and the family photo album has many pictures of the whole family together.

Josafini died of AML 3 days short of her 2nd birthday. The family were to celebrate it together at the Westin Hotel however sadly this was not to be

Jeseva aged 10 died of Rheumatic Heart, he spent a weekend with his parents at the Westin, he loved the buggy ride around the hotel grounds

Rohinesh aged 5 died of Thalasaemia, he enjoyed a weekend with his younger brother and parents

Noel Fiu aged 15 is still battling a brain tumour. He celebrated his fathers 60th at the Westin and beat Sadhana at checkers - twice. Noel loves to sing and is often at the church with the choir, we wish him and his family all the best.

Click here to download the Bula Fiji Bluesky Newsletter.

Clinics

The clinics key focus is on women’s health. Women in Fiji do not have regular pap smears or examine their breasts for lumps due to lack of knowledge, accessibility, shyness and fear.

We conduct not just pap smears but general clinics where we also treat men and children. We see many women who have never had a pap smear and are unaware that they need to be tested every two years for cervical cancer.

Many patients have extremely high blood pressure or diabetes that isn’t controlled or is medicated incorrectly. Where necessary we provide medication and educate them on better lifestyle choices. We work with local hospitals to ensure we have a patient referral and follow-up system in place. We partner with local businesses, hospitals, schools, churches and other not for profit organisations to run our clinics.

Education

Our goal is to develop an education program that we can deliver through schools and churches. Simple brochures with basic information on the key issues impacting communities like the importance of regular pap smears, how to conduct breast exams, the importance of safe sex and healthy living choices like diet and exercise.

Basic education is also required on prevention and control of diabetes and high blood pressure.