Family go from tents to evac centre
e have not received anything for 10 months now, we are still waiting. These were the words of Waisale Ralaku, one of the evacuees at the Toko Indian School evacuation centre in Tavua. Mr Ralaku, 39-year-old mine worker from Toko, said he moved with his wife and five children to the evacuation centre as the tent he was living in for the past 10 months sustained damages. “My house was completely destroyed by TC Winston in February.
“Shortly after that we received tents from the Government. “It’s almost 10 months now, the tents are torn in some places and we cannot live in it in this weather,” he said. Mr Ralaku said he shifted his belongings to his relatives’ place on Tuesday when it started raining heavily. However, he decided to move to the evacuation centre when he heard Government’s announcement on the radio, he said. “On Wednesday it started raining heavily here, so I shifted to one of my relative’s place that’s when I heard the news that people living in tents could move to the evacuation centres,” he said. Mr Ralaku explained that he moved to the evacuation centre because all his belongings were getting wet. He tried building a temporary shelter, but it too could not withstand the weather. He was concerned that he had not received any Government housing assistance. “Every month we check at the Tavua District office, but we are told that we would receive our housing assistance card next month,” he said.
Five other families are currently taking shelter at Toko Indian School in Tavua.