Vendors Reach Out to Victims of Tropical Cyclone Keni in Kadavu
Stall holders at the market want the people of Kadavu to know that friends from the ROC Market community in Suva are thinking of them and are doing their best to help in a small way. They hope that it does help.
Soqosoqo Vakamarama of Kadavu president Bulou Lavenia Yavala yesterday received a donation for Kadavu cyclone victims.
The donation was from stall holders of Suva’s ROC Market on Loftus Street, a gathering of interested vendors who sell just about anything and everything every third Sunday of the month.
Bulou Lavenia acknowledged the gesture by the ROC Market community and said she would see that the donation was distributed evenly “especially to those that are directly affected by TC Keni.”
ROC Market co-ordinator Ellana Kalounisiga said she was “blown away with the support from her vendors”.
There are 75 villages on Kadavu distributed over nine tikina or districts.
Mrs Kalounisiga said: “When we saw the recent devastation (by Tropical Cyclones) that were happening in Fiji, we decided to stir the community spirit into action. “We asked the friends of the ROC Market from different sectors to join hands and come together to donate food items, sanitary products, children’s clothes and whatever they can give.
“We want the people of Kadavu to know that friends from the ROC Market community Suva are thinking of you and we are doing our best to help in a small way. We hope that it does help.”
Mrs Kalounisiga said they decided to give half of their donation to Kadavu and the other half to Medical Services Pacific (MSP), which will send the donation to the Western Division.
The Soqosoqo Vakamarama of Kadavu is jointly working with Kadavu shipping vessel owner and Suva-based architect Ulaiasi Baivatu to send the donation to Kadavu next week. The handover was held at SODELPA provisional candidate Tanya Waqanika’s office in Denison Road, Suva.