Freelance photojournalist Sophie Ralulu is representing Islands Business on a 19-day tour by boat of Fiji’s eastern Lau Province. The tour also serves as a familiarisation visit for the highest government official in charge of Lau and other maritime provinces in the eastern division, Commissioner Luke Moroivalu. Here is one of Ralulu’s diary entries of the tour.
Day 3: Wednesday, 15 April 2015.
Lomaloma Village (and tikina), Vanuabalavu Island.
DIARY: The day started with a talanoa session at 10am at the chiefly village of Lomaloma by visiting Commissioner Eastern Luke Moroivalu and his team of government officials with the people of Lomaloma tikina (district). Each representative of government ministries and departments were invited to explain the type of services they offer.
Water was raised as a critical issue. Commissioner Moroivalu stressed a goal of the Fijian government is providing clean and reliable water, and this includes people living in rural areas.
Education was also discussed. Parents were urged to prioritise the education of their children, to make use of government policy of upgrading primary and secondary schools in regions outside cities and towns.
Ministry of Education officials confirmed that the ministry would be donating water tanks for each of the primary schools as well as the island’s sole secondary school. Each tank costs F$80,000.
Four villages of Sawana, Dakuilomaloma, Namalata and Susui wanted water tanks for each family as a way to improve access to clean water. Commissioner Moroivalu said his office would look into the request.
Other issues were upgrades of roads and the island’s airport, solar power repairs, poor road drainage and the need for more than one company to receive government shipping franchise to service the island.
Commissioner Moroivalu promised to look into all these matters, but warned that it would take time to sort them all out.
Free milk
Following another delicious lunch spread prepared by the women of Lomaloma district, the government entourage moved to Lomaloma Primary School where Commissioner Moroivalu distributed milk and cereal to year one students in all of the six primary schools on Vanuabalavu.
Year one students from Lomaloma Primary, Susui Primary, Mualevu Primary, Mavana Primary, Avea Primary and Daliconi Primary had traveled to Lomaloma to benefit from the Fijian Government’s new policy of free milk distribution.
Commissioner Moroivalu explained the free milk policy was launched for three main reasons:
1. Every child needs healthy food in order to do well in school
2. Children need good education in order to make Fiji a better country to live in
3. Good education will produce good leaders for our country
Sophie Ralulu's diary item republished with permission from the Islands Business.
SOPHIE RALULU'S LAU DEVELOPMENT DIARY
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