Lack of carpenters delays house extensions in Tubou

Home extensions and maintenance work are being left incomplete in Tubou Village on Lakeba Island, Lau, due to a shortage of village carpenters.

Village headman Temo Waqavonovono said the decline has forced some families to seek carpenters from Suva, delaying construction and increasing costs.

“We do have carpenters in the village, but most times they are too busy to help build homes or carry out maintenance work,” Mr Waqavonovono said.

He said Tubou Village currently has five carpenters, which is not enough to meet growing demand.

“Some villagers who studied carpentry have moved to the city to find work, reducing the number of skilled workers available in the village,” he said.

The shortage has resulted in several home renovation projects being left unfinished, with building materials sitting idle for months.

Mr Waqavonovono said he was among those affected, after plans to extend his home to include a master bedroom were put on hold.

Construction work had begun before the installation of the Tui Nayau, but had to stop when the carpenter was required elsewhere.

“Since then, the building materials have been left untouched and the work discontinued,” he said.

In the lead-up to the historic installation, village carpenters were fully engaged in preparing homes and buildings for the event, leaving little time to attend to other households.

Tubou villager Ilisoni Ledua said while the village still has experienced carpenters, there is a need for younger people to learn the trade and contribute to village development.

“Some villagers return from Suva with their own building materials and bring a carpenter with them to build or extend their houses,” Mr Ledua said.

“Others bring one carpenter, but because of village activities and obligations, they are often pulled into doing other carpentry work.”

He added that many villagers trained in carpentry had moved on to work for larger companies in Suva, further reducing skills available in the village.