Women’s Club thankful for assurance of fencing, cooking utensil support

Waivure Women’s Club President, Amele Vosalala, from Nateketeke Settlement at Batiri Village has thanked the Government for assuring assistance of fencing and cooking utensil support.

She relayed this request to the Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama, during the Government delegation visit to Valoca Settlement in Macuata earlier this week.

Ms Vosalala said the group, which formed nearly eight years ago, continued to work financially survive and support their livelihoods and community.

The 38-year-old said their traditional Kuta (pandanus leaves) mat weaving and producing salusalu and other traditional clothes were the group’s main sources of income.

She said they required three fencing coils to close off the perimeters where the Kuta drying takes place. However animals tend to ruin their materials if left unattended. “We had gone to the Ministry of Agriculture office in Labasa in 2019 to lodge an application for fencing resources, but no response on this assistance was received until date,” she said.

The group of 20 members had also requested for cooking utensils aid from the Prime Minister.

In response, Mr Bainimarama assured them that something would be done to assist them.

He told the Ministry of Agriculture representative, present at the Talanoa session, to make provision for the fence materials requested.

The agriculture representative informed the PM that all fencing assistance allocation had finished for the current financial year.

However, Mr Bainimarama ordered the officer to consider this request in the best interest of the ministry and the women’s club.

This was well received by the club members as they believed these two assistances would improve their livelihood and community prosperity.

“I think when Ministers visit and have one-one interactions with the public, only then do civil servants start working to get the project and assistance done,” Ms Vosalala said.

She said the cooking utensils would be used to prepare meals for the community and serve their community without having to hire these utensils from other communities.

Ms Vosalala said the cost of hiring utensils was expensive and this was not sustainable in the long run.

It cost the group and community $25 to hire one big sizable cooking pot, and at times they had to hire nearly five pots, plates, cups etc.

“If there were any damages, then we have to pay the full cost of the utensils, which is another problem we wish to avoid through this potential assistance”.

She added when these cooking utensils are available at their own disposal, they would be better prepared to host community functions and gatherings.