The struggle is real for Krishnil Kumar and his young family.
He worked as a carpenter before the onset of COVID-19 but work is so hard to find that he can hardly support his family.
His 10-month-old baby survives on boiled cassava and uses old clothing as diapers.
He said when there was not enough food to feed everyone, he ensured his family members ate while he drank water to fill his stomach.
The Naduri, Nausori, resident said they had been surviving on whatever they could gather from a nearby bush for the past two weeks.
“Every day, I go to the jungle and look for cassava and breadfruit and we boil it and eat,” he said.
“Sometimes, I do not get enough cassava so I make sure my children eat and I just have water.”
He said the heavy rain over the past few days had added to their issues.
“Our house is leaking everywhere and after the rain, we had to take everything out because it got wet and damaged.
“I feel so hopeless because as a father, I can’t even provide a safe, warm and comfortable place for my children.”
Mr Kumar said his family’s only luxuries were a small television set which provided entertainment for his children and light for their home.
