ROTAHOMES Koroipita, Lautoka
Fiji
FIJI 3H GRANT UPDATE – K2 START February 2010
PDG Lew Pretorius has just returned from Koroipita village, Lautoka, Fiji where he attended the 3rd Governance Board Meeting for the K2 project. He has pleasure in advising that the bulldozer has at last moved in and the road into the new K2 village and the first few house lots have been cleared ready for works to begin.
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.
The board meeting was attended by representatives from NZAID, Fiji Government, R.C. Lautoka and PDG Lew representing Rotary District 9830 and Rotary International (3H grant funds). It was pleasing to learn from the meeting that the Fiji Government has committed additional funds on an annual basis to assist with wages to complement those of NZAID. This ensures that two local community development officers can now be employed to assist villagers towards eventually controlling their own destiny. They will also assist new residents who will move into the Rotary and other volunteer built homes to integrate harmoniously with the existing residents of K1.
The Fiji Government support is as a direct result of viewing what Rotary volunteers and Rotary International have achieved at K1. The Government feels that this Rotary model can be replicated around Fiji to address the burgeoning homeless problem along with the associated problems of poor health, diet, education and clean water.
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!
Reported by PDG Lew Pretorius – D9830 Grants Chair and Chair 3H Grant International Partner committee.
Previous reports on the project
November 2009 - a personal update of the project, from a young volunteer working in Fiji. (Courtesy District 9790)
29 July 2009 - Announcement of NZAID Support for K2 Village Press release here
View the previous
dispatches from Peter Drysdale the Project
Manager in Fiji
