Tailevu settlement waits for power connection

As the nation awaits the 2026-2027 National Budget announcement on Friday, residents of a small coastal settlement in Tailevu are hoping this will finally be the year their long-standing plea for electricity is answered.

For families living in Kaleli Settlement, electricity remains out of reach despite power lines running about three kilometres from their homes.

While many communities enjoy the benefits of modern infrastructure, residents of Kaleli continue to rely on kerosene lamps and small solar systems, which often fail during prolonged periods of bad weather.

Settlement leader Tuvou Lavenakaubi said the absence of electricity has become one of the biggest obstacles to improving the lives of villagers, many of whom depend on fishing for their livelihood.

"Our fishermen return from the sea late at night with fish and other seafood, but there is nowhere to keep the catch fresh until morning," he said.

"Most of the time, everything goes to waste. It hurts to see the hard work of our fishermen thrown away because we don't have a freezer."

Mr Lavenakaubi said the settlement had raised the issue with authorities on numerous occasions over the years.

He claimed a prominent politician visited the community in 2021 and assured villagers that electricity would be connected later that year.

"Six years have passed and we are still waiting," he said.

For fisherman Samu Naisaboca, the issue is about more than convenience.

"We work hard out at sea, sometimes battling rough weather and strong currents. When our catch spoils before it reaches the market, it feels like all that effort was for nothing," he said.

The lack of electricity is also affecting education in the settlement.

Villager Kelera Labalaba said children often struggle to study at night, particularly when bad weather prevents solar systems from charging.

"When it rains for several days, our children are left in the dark. They still have homework and exams to prepare for, but there is no reliable light," she said.

"It is heartbreaking to watch them try to study under dim lamps while children in other places have proper lighting."

With Budget Day just days away, residents say they are once again placing their hopes on Government.

For a community that has waited years for a promise to be fulfilled, electricity is more than just power — it represents opportunity, improved livelihoods and a better future for the next generation.

As ministers prepare to unveil the country's spending plans, villagers say they are simply hoping that, after years of waiting in the dark, their settlement will finally be seen.