Caption: Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Jovesa Vocea, and District Officer (DO) Nadi Mr. Alifereti Abenasiga with villagers of Vunamoli in the interior of Ba.
SUVA – The long-standing challenge of commuting to and from their homes by crossing a river has finally come to an end for the villagers of Vunamoli, in the district of Rukuruku in the interior Ba.
One of the major challenges faced by the villagers of Vunamoli was accessibility from one end of the village to another as it is separated by a creek. To improve accessibility to and from their homes, the villagers had initially built a temporary crossing, which most of the time was still risky for children and the elderly to use during rainy conditions.
Vunamoli Village headman Mr. Ilisoni Lawavou said on many occasions, their children would not be able to attend classes as the heavy rain would result in the sudden rise of water levels in the creek, making it inaccessible for the children.
“During such times, farmers would not be able to carry their farm produce across to take to the markets. We wish to sincerely thank the Government for our foot-crossing. We have been longing for this for a very long time, and it has finally happened. This new development is greatly appreciated by every one of us because of the impact it will make on the lives of our children,” Mr Lawavou said.
Completed at a cost of more than $40,000, the Vunamoli Foot-crossing project was made possible through funding under the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management’s Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) Programme.
The project is aimed at improving the overall accessibility for the community members of Vunamoli Village to essential services. The project will also address issues that often arise during disaster events and reduce and minimize the risks often associated with flooding. It is also envisaged to boost economic activities by the villagers of Vunamoli.
In commissioning the project this week, Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Jovesa Vocea said he was optimistic that the new foot-crossing would not only improve accessibility within the village of Vunamoli but also boost economic activities.
Hon. Vocea also urged the villagers of Vunamoli to establish a committee to look into the management and maintenance of the new foot-crossing.
Caption: Vunamoli Village headman Mr. Ilisoni Lawavou receives the handover certificate of their new and improved foot-crossing from the Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Hon. Jovesa Vocea.
