50 years of crossing river on coconut tree trunks ends with new foot crossing
The use of coconut tree trunks to cross a river will now be a distant memory for 20 households of Naiqaqi Village in the district of Wailevu, Cakaudrove Province.
For the past 50 years, it as been a normal part of their lives.
The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, through its Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) Programme, built a foot crossing to ease accesibility.
The opening of this estimated $40,000 project was commissioned by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Sakiasi Ditoka, last Friday.
Naiqaqi Village women’s group leader Sesarina Batimatana acknowledged the Government for the assistance. She said it had brought them much relief, especially in getting to and from their homes.
“I was brought up in Naiqaqi Village and as far as I could remember we have been using coconut trunks
to get to and from the village,” Ms Batimatana said.
“This was normal for us for the past 50 years.”
She said a river separated their village from the main access route and whenever the river water level rose, the coconut trunks were swept
away by the strong currents.
Then, they would then have to swim across the river to get to the other side.
A few years ago, the villagers raised funds to construct a temporary wooden crossing.
“This was helping us a lot but due to its exposure to the changing weather, the planks of the crossing were damaged, leaving us to resort to what we previously used, which was coconut trunks,” she said. “Whenever a person got sick in the village and needed immediate medical attention, we would carry them on our backs and cross the river so they could get the help they urgently need.”
On behalf of the families she thanked the Government for this improved and safer crossing.