ROTAHOMES Koroipita, Lautoka Fiji
The Rotahomes project is a Rotary World Community Service (RAWCS) supported project, number 28-2005 - 6 .It is an on-going project to built low cost housing The first town (K1) has 85 homes. K2 will involve the construction of 150 simple, timber framed and steel clad homes each with a kitchen/shower, toilet block for displaced families
The official opening of Phase 2 of the Model Town Project will be held on 22 October. The ceremony will be held at Koroipita in the Great Hall of the People which was built by local people, Rotary and community volunteers.
The vision for Koroipita is for "A peaceful community where residents break free from the cycle of poverty and create a sustainable future for themselves and their children".
Rotary is combining resources with the New Zealand Aid Program (NZAP) and the NGO, Habitat for Humanity. The construction of all houses in Phase 2 will be staged over 5 years.
One of Rotary's major contributions to the project is the constant flow of Rotary volunteers to reduce the cost of building houses. Volunteers saved the Koroipita Phase 1 project $3,000,000. Savings on the construction costs of Phase 2 are estimated to be $5,000,000
The Rotary Club of Central Launceston construction crew pictured during 2011.
Back row: Lew Pretorius (with hat) and Tony Montauban; front row: "Oscar" Dominguez (left) and Ron Thomas on site at Koroipita
The Fiji Government is looking to the Rotary-initiated project to be replicated as a viable solution to the burgeoning problem of displaced families throughout other regions of Fiji. |
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Children in Koroipita Model Township now have playground equipment to play on thanks to Clarence City Council who made the equipment available and a number of District 9830 Rotary Clubs who contributed to the cost of freighting it to Fiji. Contributing clubs were Rotary Clubs of Wynyard, Queenstown, Lindisfarne, Central Launceston, Hobart, Moonah, Longford, Devonport North, Latrobe, Bellerive and North Launceston |
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Download a handbook for Volunteers working on this Fiji Project. (large pdf file 3M)
FIJI UPDATE – K2 START February 2010
NZAID funding for the first stage, and additional funding from the Fiji Government together with the 3H funds which were lodged in the bank by R.I. in 2007 has enabled the engineer John Yalden
to obtain all the necessary approvals to allow work to begin on the infrastructure for the next 161 homes and associated community buildings.
This photo shows the road being built approaching the K2 area.
UPDATE August 2011
PDG Lew Pretorius reports
Together with two lots of funds already deposited in 2007 and March 2011 into the project bank account by Rotary International as part of the $USD300000 3H grant, the New Zealand Aid Programmes (NZAP) grant funding agreement applied for in December 2010 by Project Director Peter Drysdale and the project staff, was at last signed on June 22nd 2011 much to the relief of all concerned.
The NZAP funding will be provided over the next 5 years to completion of Koroipita Stage 2.
The Fiji Government once again came to the party with GAP funding along with individual Rotarians, Rotary Clubs and other overseas community organisations to keep the building materials up to teams until NZAP agreement was finalised. A local NGO organisation, Habitat for Humanity will be auspicing (legal) contracted entity for the NZAP funds.
Tasmanian Rotarians have played a huge part in the past with this project. Pro-rata they have provided a large proportion of the volunteers in the past and PDG Lew is delighted to see that teams are preparing to go again this year to help with the start up. Well done D9830!
SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT.
On Tuesday 20th May 2008 , PDG Lew Pretorius District 9830 Chairman for the International Partner committee for the 3H grant from Rotary International was asked to witness the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement in regard to the formal lease to Rotary from the Fiji Government for the Rotahome Koroipita villages.
Peter Drysdale, Chairman of the 3H Grant Host Partner committee and Willie Heywood, the Incoming President of The Rotary Club of Lautoka, signed on behalf of the Rotary Club of Lautoka. Alec atiaki, the Director of Housing in the Ministry of Social Welfare and Ms Litia Mawi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government, Urban Development and Housing, signed on behalf of the Fiji Government.
This formalizes a verbal promise made to the Rotary Club of Lautoka by the Fiji Government at the time of applying for the 3H grant. The signing of the legal documents for a 99 year lease means existing and potential residents can now feel secure in regard to their homes for as long as they reside at Koroipita, Lautoka. This was a big week: visit to Koroipita by World RI President D. K. Lee and District 9830 3H grant Monitor PDG Lew Pretorius - and it's Rotary Club of Lautoka 50th Anniversary
K1 subdivision (top picture )
The bottom picture shows the outline of the planned K2 settlement
Note dates mentioned above have not been recently updated. Please read in conjunction with the latest despatches listed above.
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