Caption: Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka and Commissioner Northern Division Mr. Uraia Rainima with villagers of Wavu and Korokoli in the district of Vaturova in Cakaudrove at their newly built footcrossing.

SAVUSAVU – Decades of having to access basic services of Government by wading across a river has ended for three villages from the districts of Vaturova and Koroalau in Cakaudrove.

This follows the commissioning of their newly built footcrossing, made possible through a funding of more than $46,000 by the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management under its Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) Programme.

On a daily basis, villagers of Wavu, Korokoli and Vuinadi will have to cross a river by foot to access public transportation services, to get to school or hospitals, or to get to their plantations.

“It was really hard before we had this footcrossing,” said Wavu Village women’s group leader Ms. Vika Dimaca.

“We use this route to get to our plantations or when we want to go to the neighboring village of Korokoli. In the past we would have to go across using the river, but today we are very happy that we now have an improved footcrossing which we can use, especially our children.”

Villagers of the three communities will use the footcrossing to access public transportation, medical services at hospitals, schools, plantations, and other critical services.

“This is the easiest and fastest route for us. It would take us only 30 minutes to access these services if we go through our village here at Wavu, using the river. But if we have to walk across the river to access these services from Vuinadi Village, it could take us more than one hour. This is why we’re really excited about this development. We would like to sincerely thank Government for this assistance as this has really improved our mode of access to and from our homes,” said 25-year-old Ms. Salote Dikabuta.

Korokoli villager Ms. Aqela Kacovanua’s children cross the river to get to school daily.

“We leave home at 7am every day to drop my students off to get to school. Sometimes when we reach the river, the water level would be high so I would then have to carry them one by one on my back so they would not get their uniforms wet when they go to school. I would make sure to do whatever I can just so my children could get to school,” said Ms Kacovanua.

“We are really happy with this help from Government. For me personally, I am very thankful because this will help us a lot, especially mothers and children who have to risk their lives at times to cross the river to access some very important services.”

In commissioning the project, Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka said Government was pleased to be able to assist the community through this investment, and encouraged the community to take good care of the project

Caption: Villagers of Wavu in the district of Vaturova, Ms. Vika Dimaca (left) and Ms. Salote Dikabuta (right) at their newly constructed footbridge which link them to the neighboring village of Korokoli.

-ENDS-

The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. We coordinate and implement the Fiji Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural sector. We also spearhead disaster risk reduction initiatives at national and sub-national level including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We have offices for each of Fiji’s 14 provinces including Rotuma, leading the Fiji Government’s rural development and disaster risk management operations.

Follow us on Twitter @MRMDFiji @FijiNDMO| Facebook: @developmentfiji

For press enquiries: Aqela Susu, MRMDDM, Tel. +679 3216456/+679 9985670,

Email: aqela.susu@govnet.gov.fj/susuaqela@gmail.com