Rosie and Expedia Groups Volunteer Work at Koroipita on hold

Voluntary building works that had been carried out previously by the staff of Rosie Group of Companies and Expedia Group at Koroipita in Lautoka has been put on hold following the COVID-19 crisis. Model Towns Charitable Trust chairman Peter Drysdale, who founded Koroipita, a small township-like setting which now houses 260 destitute or poor families, confirmed this in an interview.

Mr Drysdale confirmed plans were in place for some more work to be done at Koroipita, situated at Naikabula, outside of

Lautoka City.

“However this has all been cancelled because of COVID-19 and hope this crisis will end and we can have them back here next year,” Mr Drysdale said.

For Koroipita, the biggest problem Mr Drysdale and his team presently face was finance for food from June onwards for at least 50 families who were either destitute or have lost their jobs because of the crisis.

“Presently we feed around 30 families but this has jumped to 50 and could even reach 80 families if things do not turn around. “We have a pool of finance which comes from overseas donors but that will see us do just one more round of shopping in

May for the 50 families and then we will have nothing for June.”

Veilomani project

Mr Drysdale was hoping the Veilomani project from the Government would be able to assist. He added the main food source needed were basic food items like rice, flour sugar and washing products.

For vegetables and root crops, the households at Koroipita had an abundance of this as every home had both a backyard and front yard garden.

“For those homes whose occupants cannot plant because they are old, then their neighbours are asked to make the gardens and share the produce with those living there.

“So vegetables and root crops are not a problem.”

Mr Drysdale said the community at Koroipita were one of the best informed communities on COVID-19 as the families were briefed about the disease before it even reached Fiji.

“Assisted by the Ministry of Health we had families attend the talks in the community hall at Koroipita.

“All children staying there have been given their school lessons which we picked up from their schools so their education was very important,” Mr Drysdale said.