Survey reveals toilet problem
ACCORDING to a survey carried out by the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS), some households living within the Suva and Nausori corridor have no toilets or are sharing them with their neighbours.
This was highlighted by Assistant Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Sakiusa Tubuna in Parliament on Wednesday.
He said when the Coalition Government came into power, one of the saddest things they noted was the lack of data on where the underprivileged people really lived.
“When we assumed office, we were inundated with calls from some of the poorest communities in Suva, that they needed to be further supported with assistance from Government,” Mr Tubuna said.
“Instead of taking a knee jerk reaction, we thought that it would be wise to undertake a detailed survey of these communities.”
In June 2023, a survey facilitated by the Office of the PM was conducted on 23 informal settlements and poor communities along the Suva and Nausori corridor.
The settlements included Marata Village in Wailoku, Muanikoso, as well as Kalekana, Valenicina, Nabuli and Matata settlement in Lami.
Mr Tubuna said through this project, FCOSS went out into these communities to discuss and identify their needs, and to conduct community assessments which identified local development challenges.
“You would be surprised to note that the data collected from the 23 communities reflected that some Fijian households lack the most basic of household amenities.
“We have Fijians living just an earshot away from our towns and cities in the Central Division that are still using pit toilets.”
He said a meeting of the relevant key stakeholders was convened to strategise on how Government could work collaboratively with other NGOs and the private sector to tackle the issues highlighted in the survey.
Other issues highlighted included frequent water disruptions, unhygienic waste disposal, infrastructural issues such as access roads, bridges and health centres.
Mr Tubuna added social problems such as drugs and substance abuse, sex trafficking and crime, security of land tenure and overcrowding, and lack of governance structures in informal settlements were also included in the findings.