Akbar: Homes Rebuilding Going well
‘Initiative to continue till everyone is served’
Minister for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Rosy Akbar said the Help For Home initiative was being carried out successfully and would serve all those affected by Tropical Cyclone Winston.
“The initiative is going on successfully, we are trying to assist as many people as possible,” Ms Akbar said.
“The distribution centres will continue operations till May 31 or until everyone who has been affected by TC Winston has been served.”
Ms Akbar also reminded all card holders that all the cards have to be redeemed by June 30, 2016.
She continued to visit the distribution centres that were currently providing service under the initiative in Tailevu, Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki.
Ms Akbar also met with the beneficiaries of Help for Home initiative in Ba, who were purchasing hardware materials at the approved hardware retailers. There are 10 hardware companies for Help for Home initiative that had been registered through an Expression of Interest and a contract signed last week.
The beneficiaries of the initiative were given electronic cards to purchase hardware materials.
Minister Akbar said positive feedbacks had been received on the Help for Home Initiative. Monika Laisa of Vutuni, Ba, who had received $7000 assistance through Help for Home initiative, was grateful for the timely assistance.
“I thank the Government for addressing our challenges, for helping me and my family in rebuilding our home, which was fully damaged in Cyclone Winston. I had applied for the assistance and have received a card to buy the building materials. I have prepared a list of items that I need to buy to build the new house. And I have already used the card to purchase some of the hardware materials from RC Manubhai,” Ms Laisa said.
The Help for Home Initiative is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.
The ministry has established distribution centres in priority areas: Tailevu, Naitasiri, Ba, Tavua, Ra, Bua, Cakaudrove, Taveuni and Suva (for those in Lomaiviti, Koro and Vanuabalavu). The amounts loaded on the cards will depend on the extent of the damage sustained to the recipients’ homes.
These are according to the NDMO assessments provided to the Government:
homes with partial roofing damage will qualify to receive $1500;
homes with complete roofing damage will qualify to receive $3000; and
homes that have been completely destroyed will receive $7000.
The Help for Home initiative started operations from May 6 and will continue till May 31. Registration forms are provided at all the distribution centres. People are advised to refer to the on-going radio ads and weekly schedules that are published in the Fiji Sun to know when and where the HFH team will be visiting their areas.