Naitasiri villagers thank Govt for new road
NAITAUVOLI villager, Anareta Lewasau, was among the many villagers of Naitauvoli in the interior of Naitasiri who have waited for decades to finally see a road constructed to their village.
The Government, through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management had funded the construction of an access road for the village under its Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) Programme.
The project cost around $24,000 and was expected to improve accessibility for more than 100 villagers of Naitauvoli.
Previously villagers of Naitauvoli used a track that was in a poor condition as access to and from the village.
This used to pose a risk to the children who use the track particularly during wet weather. The new road will not only improve access, but also ensure easier access to markets for farmers from the village.
Ms Lewasau said, the assistance by Government marked a new beginning for the villagers.
“Before the construction of this new road, we’ve had to walk for at least 250 metres carrying our furniture
and shopping on our backs to get to our homes. At times, when a villager is sick, we’ve had to also carry them right to the main road so they could be transported to the nearest health centre. But with this new road, we only have to walk a short distance before we reach our homes. It has also made it easier for us especially when we return from Suva with our shopping,” she said.
“Today we are very grateful for this assistance by Government. We would like to thank the Ministry for thinking about us here at Naitauvoli. It’s been almost 60 years that we’ve waited for this road development and today we are so happy that we are able to witness this new development.”
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu reiterated that access was crucial for Fijians in rural communities.
“Naitauvoli is big with yaqona farming. They have a farming cluster under the Rural Millionaire concept in the village and we are thankful to see the amount of work done in the village,” Minister Seruiratu said.