MINISTER for Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation Mereseini Vuniwaqa has confirmed that 30 families whose homes were destroyed by Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in Maneyava, Ra, will receive $1500 each under the Help for Home Initiative.

Ms Vuniwaqa said the families were not entitled to the $7000 available under the initiative because Maneyava was an informal settlement.

“Our records reveal that 30 households from the settlement were assisted through HFH to the total of $67,000,” she said.

“They were given $1500 (each). Like other similar settlements from the other parts of Fiji affected by cyclone Winston, they were given the amount of $1500.”

Families living in Maneyava asked this newspaper to highlight their concerns with the ministry because the amount promised was not enough to help them rebuild a decent shelter.

They claimed many had not received hardware material.

Those expressing their disappointment included an 86-year-old bedridden woman who has been living in a waist high shelter for almost a year now. The plastic-covered mud floor is water soaked from the recent downpour and family members have a hard time keeping her dry.

Resident, Onisivoro Tavisa said $1500 worth of hardware supplies was not enough to build a house.

“I’m one of those who received the $1500. It’s not enough to build a house where three or five people can live,” he said.

“All of us in the village, whose homes were destroyed, were told we would get only $1500 each.”

Another resident, Rupeni Drakabula said their elders were moved from Vanua Levu in 1999 to the piece of land where they now reside.

“The land was given to us as a gift and we were told that it was ours so our families built their homes here,” he said.

“We are originally from here, but had moved to Bua. We came back.”

Another villager Deve Wakili said $1500 was not enough to build a home for his family.

‘What can you build with $1500?” he said.

“We are disappointed because we were first told that we would be given $7000 and others $5000.”