Suva

Suva is Fiji's capital and busiest city, a humid, crowded port town of markets, government buildings, and steep hillside settlements where the gap between wealth and struggle is visible on every block. Average household income in Fiji sits around FJD 20,000 to 25,000 a year, but many in Suva's informal settlements live on far less, and rising rents have pushed more families into overcrowded housing or onto the streets. A 2018 national survey identified over 500 people sleeping rough in Suva alone, a number aid workers say has almost certainly grown since. The Fiji Council of Social Services works with grassroots groups on poverty issues across the city, while the Salvation Army Fiji runs shelter and food support that many rely on when nothing else is open. St Vincent de Paul Society also has a long history here, offering meals and basic aid to people with nowhere else to turn. If you're new to Suva, stick near Sukuna Park or the market area during the day where there's foot traffic and some safety in numbers, and ask other rough sleepers which churches open their doors at night — word of mouth here often works faster than official channels. You're not invisible here, and you don't have to figure this city out alone.