RUPENI WAQAVONO
FOURTEEN years of walking long distances to access clean water for daily use will now only be a memory to share with their future generation.
For more than 100 families living in a farming community in the interior of Togo, Nadi, they can now have clean running water right at their doorstep.
This is after the Fijian Government through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development assisted the community with the installation of a new solar borehole water pump which was officially commissioned by the Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Vijay Nath.
For farmers like Vijeswar Chand, the installation of this new bore-hole has not only eased the burden for his family but it has ensured that they will never have to travel to find clean water again.
“Before it was very hard, we used to walk for almost two kilometres to the river to bath and for cleaning purposes. We used a well for drinking and cooking, during the dry season the well is dried up and we have no other option but drink from the river,” Mr Chand said.
“Most of our time and resources were spent on getting adequate water for our families and farms. But all that ends today when we have this new solar-powered bore-hole system installed in our com-munity.
“I am very thankful to the Bainimarama government for this project, it brings a huge relief to the Navisa community and I also want to thank the District Officer Nadi and his team for facilitating this project. “For the past 14 years we have been walking to find water how-ever for the first time ever thanks to the Government of the day, we will now have water readily accessible to us and even though we live in the interiors we are thankful that we are not forgotten.”
Assistant Minister Nath, while commissioning the water project, reiterated the Fijian Government’s commitment in ensuring that every Fijian has access to clean drinking water.
He also assured the community that the Fijian Government will al-ways do its best to cater for every Fijian especially those in rural areas.
The $21,057.78 government-funded project has benefitted more than 10 households in Navisa settlement in the interior of Nadi and was made possible through the Ministry’s Self-Help Project.
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