$82,000 Collected In Fundraising Drive
More than $82,000 was raised yesterday by the people of Totoya living on Viti Levu.
This is after their two-day fundraising drive at the Furnival Park in Toorak, Suva.
Money raised from the event will help the islanders’ business arm that was established last year to help those back in the villages on Totoya Island.
Village spokesperson and committee member Jokini Taoi believes that Totoya needs to run a business arm to create a regular source of funding.
“We also want to run our own business and we don’t want to lean or ask for assistance from anyone else,” he said. “What committee plans to do is simple; we will get in touch with our families back in the islands so they can sell their products to the company and our job is to look for the markets here in Fiji and abroad.”
Mr Taoi added that this would help those back in the village and it wouldl ease the burden of coming over to the mainland.
“We have noticed that people from the five villages on Totoya have started to come to Suva in order to look work and gain proper education for their children,” he said.
“This shows the many hardships that they face in trying to sell their produce back in the island. “With this business plan we will help because they can remain in the island, but they will sell their produce to us to meet up with daily
expenses.
“It is important that the money goes back to the villages back in the island and that’s the whole reason we doing this.”
Their main source of income is through their fisheries resources and coconut products such as Copra and virgin coconut oil. Meanwhile, Roko Sau Josefa Cinavilakeba thanked all the people who contributed in any way in trying to help his people.
“I would like to thank everyone of the five villages from the island, here in Viti Levu and overseas for taking time out in sharing their money for a good cause,” he said. “Without you we would not be able to achieve this.”
Money raised from the event will help the islanders’ business arm that was established last year to help those back in the villages on Totoya Island.