New Road Benefits Elderly, Students
The Batinivurewai Community Access Road project was fully funded by the Government under the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management’s Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) programme at a cost of more than $20,000.
Thursday 01 July 2021 | 11:30
Villagers of Batinivurewai Settlement in Wainunu, Bua using the new access road to their settlement.
We are very thankful to Government for coming forward to help us with the construction of our road especially during these tough times.”
These were the sentiments shared by Batinivurewai Settlement resident Solo Bhurra following the completion of an access road linking their community to the main highway in Wainunu, Bua.
Mr Bhurra said the residents from the settlement had been longing for a new road for years.
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The Batinivurewai Community Access Road project was fully funded by the Government under the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management’s Community Access Roads, Footpaths and Footbridges (CARFF) programme at a cost of more than $20,000.
Who will benefit
More than 150 people will benefit from the project. The majority of these are students and, dalo (taro) and yaqona (grog) farmers that call the settlement home.
“We have to walk about 300 to 400 metres to catch the bus and the buses here leave very early in the morning. So during rainy weather, the previous track used to be very risky for our children and elderly because it used to be very sloppy and muddy and also very slippery,” Mr Bhurra said.
“During such times, our elderly will not be able to travel out of the settlement because of the poor condition of the track.”
“But today we’re very happy about this new road because it has made accessibility easier for us – something we’ve waited for, for years. For this we thank Government that even though we’re in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, they’re able to come forward to help us through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development,” he added.
Mr Bhurra said the new road would also motivate dalo and yaqona farmers in the settlement to increase productivity as access for transportation of farm produces have now been also made easier with the construction of the new road.
The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. The ministry co-ordinates and implements the Fijian Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural and maritime sector.
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