Villagers Raise Funds to Build Bridge
After years of unanswered pleas, villagers of Waibasaga in Naitasiri take matters into their own hands, raising funds to build a bridge themselves.
Wednesday 09 April 2025 | 23:54
Parents and family members of Waibasaga Village, Muaira, in Naitasiri, must cross this fast-flowing river daily with their children and students, to ensure they reach school safely and back home. There is no proper bridge for the villagers to use for crossing.
Calls for improved infrastructure are intensifying.
In Waibasaga village, in the highlands of Naitasiri, the need for a proper bridge to cross the dangerous Wainimala River has become critical.
For decades, villagers have faced dangerous crossings — a risk that turned tragic on April 1 when a 27-year-old man was swept away by powerful currents while trying to cross the river.
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“There is no other access to Waibasaga village except for crossing the Wainamala River,” said Waisake Vualiku, chairman of the village development committee.
“We’ve been asking for a bridge for many years, through many governments, but nothing has happened.”
Women and children are particularly vulnerable during the river’s strong currents.
More than 100 students from Waibasaga, who attend Muaira District School across the river, must either be carried or placed in floating tubes to safely reach their school.
The situation has grown more urgent following the tragic loss of life, and villagers have begun to raise funds themselves to construct a bridge.
“We are working on raising funds now ourselves as villagers to build a bridge,” Mr Vualiku said, adding,
“We will help ourselves and do it.”
For locals like Lusia Dreli, the crossing is a deeply emotional experience.
“It was just a sight for sore eyes,” she said, recalling a day when her grandchild had to be placed in a baby bath tub to cross the river.
A student waits his turn to cross the raging river. Photo: JV Nadaubale / Facebook
“We really need some sort of assistance to help better our access to the other side.”
Canteen operator Dorote Malainasiga also described the difficulties of crossing the river.
“Sometimes, I have to throw away supplies for my canteen because they get wet during the crossing,” she said.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development, Sakiasi Ditoka, has acknowledged the concerns and received correspondence from the village development chairman.
He is expected to meet with development partners on the issue.
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