Narikoso Families Grateful for New Homes
We say that in Fiji, when we build back, we build back better, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.
This was while commissioning the relocation project of seven families of Narikoso Village in Kadavu yesterday.
The $1.2 million European Union funded project took four years to complete. The most vulnerable families who were living in the red zone area of the village were relocated.
Nairikoso is the third village to be relocated in Fiji after being one of 48 villages identified to be relocated because of climate-change impacts.
Mr Bainimarama said the successful relocation would give hope and encouragement to the remaining villages knowing it could be done and that life could continue happily and productively as normal. An emotional father-of-one child, Joseva Rabonu, 43, said he could not thank the donors enough for the help rendered in the construction of their new home complete with a water tank.
His family was one of the seven families that would move into their new home next week after Mr Bainimarama handed them their house keys yesterday.
As for Makereta Rabonu, 35, she shared that their previous home was located a few steps from the sea and whenever there was extreme high tide (storm surge) water would flood the whole house.
This was the reality that the Rabonu family endured for years until their house was completely destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Harold. They then moved to a makeshift shed for shelter.
“After the cyclone we collected whatever we could and moved to a nearby shed where we lived until we built a temporary home with whatever materials we could find,” she said.
Fellow villager, Tulia Taufa, 51, shared similar sentiments and acknowledged the assistance given to her family-of-six.
Ms Taufa has been living in Nairikoso Village for more than 20 years and she was grateful that now her family does not have to worry about their home flooding anymore.
Apart from the relocation project, the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport also launched their Integrated Human Resource Development Programme to assist the unemployed and aid in economic development.
This saw the injection of about $27,000 to the Matanarua Cooperative through the provision of 200 hens, 100 chickens, feed and feeding equipment.