Family of 5 struggle with food shortage
Their plantation was destroyed by floods brought on by recent cyclone
Joji Ramacake of Wainivakososo Settlement, Lautoka, said his family is struggling to survive after floods brought on by Tropical Cyclone Harold badly damaged his plantation last month.
The 63-year-old said his plantation, located behind his home, provided food for his family of five. However, his cassava, dalo and other roots crops were destroyed by flood waters during the onslaught of TC Harold.
“I’ve stayed here for over 12 years and this place always gets flooded, but this place lost the most crops and we are slowly replanting because we are afraid the crops may get destroyed again,” he said.
“Everything was flooded because water came from both sides of the settlement and destroyed my plantation. I don’t sell the crops because it assisted my family, but when the flood came, it took everything in its path.”
“Everyone here is struggling, but for our family, my son in law buys groceries and we have my social welfare money, but otherwise we are used to having rice and topoi (Fijian dumpling) for our meals,” he said.
“An organisation came to take photos (of the damage), but did not give us any assistance like seedlings. All they told us to do was make plots in our plantation so we did, but they have not visited since last week.
“We are requesting for assistance whether its seedlings to plant, groceries and maybe just some materials to help us hammer our roofs and secure our homes so that we are safe during natural disasters,” he said. Edited
by Jonathan Bryce
salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj