Preparing higher ground for the resettlement of the village
After Cyclone Winston 25 houses in Silana Village needed to be completely rebuilt. With the extreme flooding and sea surges experienced throughout the disaster, the Fijian Government strongly advised all members of the community to build houses further back from the sea and on higher ground. The area in which the village was advised to rebuild had very uneven land. Before rebuilding could start, community members attempted to level areas to the best of their ability using only machetes. We decided to step in and help by using funds to hire a digger to level the land.
The attempts by the villagers to level the land by hand, using machetes was greatly hindering the village’s efforts to rebuild houses and move out of sheltered living. The desire to improve their current situation and move forward after the devastation caused by Winston was admirable. Being unable to start the building process after acquiring building materials was yet another setback, and we were happy to help.
Having the available land levelled means families can begin rebuilding their houses in a safer place as a long term temporary measure. Not only is this important for the morale of the village and an integral part of moving forward as a community until the Fijian Government fully relocates the village.
The digger was hired for 5 hours, at 200Fijian dollars/ hour
Purchasing Grass Cutters
During the cyclone, Silana Youth’s 2 grass cutters were damaged beyond repair. They were taken in for repairs, but they did not last much longer after the initial repair. The Youth rely on these grass cutters as they are vital for their role in the village. They enable them to fulfil their commitment to their neighbours to keeping Silana clean and neatly presented.
This donation has been gratefully received by all members of Silana as the debris littering the village as well as the accelerated growth of grass and other plants since the cyclone has impacted on the clean and neat presentation that Silana prides its self on. With the help of the two new grass cutters have been purchased, the Silana Youth can continue the clean-up process by keeping the grass looking respectable.
We used a donation made to the Disaster Relief Fund from The House Cavalry Regiment in the UK to replace the grass cutters. Each grass cutter cost 800Fijian Dollars
Transportation of School Furniture
A group called Kiwani kindly donated a number of desks, chairs and teaching supplies to The Navunisea District School. After the extensive loss of school supplies, these supplies were of the utmost importance to getting the school back up and running. We used your donations to hire two large lorries to transport the equipment to the school.
Having access to these resources meant teachers can continue with lessons, without the concern of finding enough desks and chairs for students. These resources have also been of great assistance in allowing students to see Navunisea District as a school again, after it was used as a shelter in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.
The lorries were hired at a total cost of 700Fijian Dollars
