NGO Hopes To Build New Home For Mum And Son Living In A Makeshift Tent

Make a Difference Fiji (MDF), a non-government organisation based at Pacific Harbour, is seeking assistance from the general public to build a small house for a single mother and her one-year-old son.

Piniaua Vukicanatani, 28, lost her house during Tropical Cyclone Harold and has been living in a makeshift tent in Culanuku Village, Serua with her son for the past three months.

Make a Difference Fiji director, Renu Singh, was alerted of Ms Vukicanatani’s situation by a colleague. They visited the family to establish how they could offer them help.

“I was speechless when I saw the tent they lived in,” Ms Singh said.

“My heart sank and before I stepped inside the tent, I knew that we would be building her a new home. I peeped inside and I saw her and her son sitting in the middle of the tent, it was hot, she was sweating and the baby was lying around playing,” she said.

Piniaua Vukicanatani (third from left) and her son with the team from Make a Difference Fiji inside her makeshift tent in Culunuku Village, Serua.

Ms Vukicanatani is unemployed; she is a recipient of social welfare assistance.

“Since the land area her tent is on is very small, we can only do a small home with an open plan kitchen and living area, and toilet and bathroom,” she said.

She said generous donors have been donating towards their appeal.

“We have had a few people asking us on the costing of the materials; we hope that we can get some support with this to be able to build her a home by the end of this month.”

Edited by Karalaini Waqanidrola

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