Villagers of Vunaniu in Serua had a reason to celebrate last week with the commissioning of four 10,000 litre water tanks.
A gift from the Canada fund to the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network Fiji, the water tanks offered a new lease on life for the villagers whose water source was a nearby creek.
LMMA program director Inoke Tuiwanunu said the initiative was part of the Vanua Sautu program under which the village was assisted with water tanks, a greenhouse nursery, about 2000 mangrove plants and about 1000 native trees.
Mr Tuiwanunu said Vunaniu Village was the first village to be assisted post-COVID under the program.
“The donation that was done today (yesterday) is to help the villagers solve their water issue during bad weather,” Mr Tuiwanunu said.
“The villagers normally walk about 300 metres to the nearest creek to do their washing, so the water tanks have been done in such a way that if a reservoir is damaged, and there’s no water coming in, 40,000 litres should be able to sustain the villagers.”
He said the organisation would also conduct financial literacy training for the villagers.
“We are looking not only into the conservation part of resources, we are also looking into economic empowerment, and that is where we will be conducting financial literacy training,” Mr Tuiwainunu said.
