Drauleba women rejoices
The end of the stream
FOR decades a small stream near Drauleba settlement, in the highlands of Naitasiri has been a source of life and unity for its residents.
The place is where women and their families have bathed, washed and fetched for water for generations - during the heat of the day, ahead of a violent storm and at the break of cold dewy mornings.
Many elders have passed on without tasting the privilege of opening a tap.
Some lived at a time when water was carried in delicate parcels of wild via leaves.
Last week, however, decades of struggles in this farming community came to an end, when the Water Authority of Fiji finally connected Drauleba to a piped water system.
The sound of unusual laughter and cheers never heard before rattled the peaceful community as its residents and neighbours held cool water in the palm of their hands for the first time. Men joked around the grog bowl while women prepared a huge feast fit to celebrate the historic occasion. Children joined their parents in the funfair.
“I have been walking down to the stream and up the slope for decades to get water.
Since I got married here that has been a persistent challenge for me,” Saravina Naisilisili, 51, said with a huge smile she couldn’t hide.
“As a mother, my work relies largely on having a consistent supply of clean water for cooking, feeding, cleaning and washing,” she said, “now my daily chores would be a breeze, no more panting with a bucket of water and no more carting of clothes. “
To supplement piped water in Naitasiri, WAF has so far distributed 1023 tanks in the province with the hope of enhancing their capacity to harvest rainwater and supplement their daily supply of water.
The Drauleba project alone included the construction of a dam, a 4500-gallon Ferro cement tank, and the installation of showers, standpipes, washout and air valve, to the tune of $51,000.
A shy Ema Naisalakasei, 16, said her days of fetching for water early in the morning and late in the afternoon would be a thing of the past.
“Carrying a bucket of water or a load of washing up the steep slope is not an easy job. In the wet weather, it can be backbreaking. Now it’s a relief to know those days are over,” the teenager said.
“We learn in school that water is essential for life and to have this gift brought close to our doorstep is a blessing and a great privilege.”
In Fiji, as is the case in other parts of the world, safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether for drinking, domestic use, food production or recreational purposes.
But today, factors like climate change, increasing water scarcity, population growth and urbanisation already pose challenges for the earth’s water supply systems.
By 2025, experts estimate that half of the world’s population will live in “waterstressed areas”.
For Pacific people, who have already started to feel the drastic effects of climate change this will make life a struggle.
So while the residents of Drauleba rightfully deserve to smile and enjoy their water connection, they have been reminded as well about their responsibility toward conserving water as a scarce resource.
“It is your duty to maintain it and ensure that the free flow of clean water to every household is not disrupted. The onus is on you to ensure that regular checks and maintenance are made,” Minister for Infrastructure, Jone Usamate told residents.
“When communities have ample water they thrive - their health, their farms and their economy all can steadily improve when water is readily available.” Salote Rositagilala agrees that having children required easy access to clean and safe drinking water.
“The change from the stream to the tap will make life easier for the women of Drauleba.
“From now on they will be able to look after their families better and enjoy their domestic duties.”