A partnership between the Brown Girl Woke (B.G.W) group and the ANZ bank has provided ten struggling families with household essentials.

The event was held at the headquarters of Brown Girl Woke, a non-Government organisation, in Fugalei on Friday morning, a little more than a week ahead of Father's Day on next weekend. 

All the ten families received two cartons of milk, a packet of toilet paper, sugar, rice, a packet of soap, powder for their clothes, a box of noodles, toothpaste with a packet of toothbrushes, salt, and a box of sardines. 

Toti Toomalatai of Vini Fou, served as the representative of the families to say a few words of thanks to the bank and the N.G.O.

"I want to acknowledge Brown Girl Woke, ANZ, and all their partners for providing such donations which will greatly assist my family through the next few weeks. No amount of words can describe how grateful I am for this donation from them," he said. 

"It has taken away my worries of what our next meal will be in the next few weeks."

Mr Toomalatai is 53 years old, and his wife is the breadwinner for their small family of three. He says that what he has received will be enough to provide for their Father's Day celebration.

"Right now, we have run out of sugar but thankfully now we have sugar from these kind people. As you know Father's Day is almost here and I'm glad that we have sugar from this which is enough for my cup of tea on Father's Day. 

"I know I speak for all of us here when I say that we are all happy about this donation," he said. 

"I did not enter into this; [someone else] put my family's name for this. I never knew about this till he signed my family up. But this is a huge help for my small family. Again, thank you to everyone who is behind this initiative. I appreciate everything."