Help for reconstruction in Vuna village, Taveuni

from the Fiji Times:

Home restoration help for Taveuni villagers

Luke Rawalai
Tuesday, April 26, 2016

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Villagers at Navakawau withbuilding materials that were distributed to their village by kind Samaritans lately. Picture: JULIE KELLY

AFTER living on Taveuni for the past few years, their love for the island has led a group of expatriate hotel owners and locals to raise $60,000 for the restoration of homes on Navakawau and Vuna villages.

Located on the south end of the island, the two villages are among one of the worst-hit areas in Taveuni.

Nakia Resort owner and head of the volunteer group of relief workers, Julie Kelly, said the $60,000 they raised earlier with the help of kind donors would assist families rebuild and restore their homes.

"Apart from this, we have given families eight tonnes of roofing tin, strapping and nails to Navakawau Village," Ms Kelly said.

"Villagers were able to make use of the local trees that were damaged at the height of the cyclone and mine their own timbers from chainsaws that we also delivered them.

"They have been able to cut 2x4 mahogany timbers from trees readily available in their ownbackyards."

They delivered seven tonnes of building materials and two Husqavarna chainsaws to Vuna Village to assist its population of 641 villagers.

"The second shipment of materials has been delivered to Navakawau which has a population of 652 villagers and these building materials will provide new roofs for 68 families."

Navakawau Village headman Iosefo Matailima said the building materials and chainsawsgiven to villagers would help those who lost their homes in the wake of Severe TC Winston.

Mr Matailima said villagers were thankful to the team of volunteers for thinking of villagers during a time when they had nowhere to turn.

Vuna Village traditional leader Ratu Emosi Tolevu thanked the volunteers for giving selflessly.