Residents of Vunaniu in Serua celebrated last week with the inauguration of four 10,000-litre water tanks. This initiative, funded by the Canada Fund for the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) Network Fiji, provides the community with a reliable water source, as they previously relied on a nearby creek.
Inoke Tuiwanunu, the LMMA program director, explained that this effort is part of the Vanua Sautu program, which has also supplied the village with a greenhouse nursery, around 2,000 mangrove plants, and approximately 1,000 native trees. Tuiwanunu noted that Vunaniu Village is the first community to receive assistance from this program since the pandemic.
“The purpose of this donation is to address the villagers’ water challenges during adverse weather conditions,” Tuiwanunu stated. He highlighted that villagers typically travel about 300 meters to the nearest creek for washing, and the newly installed water tanks are designed to ensure a backup supply of 40,000 litres in case their main water source is compromised.
Additionally, Tuiwanunu mentioned that the organization plans to provide financial literacy training for villagers, aiming to enhance both resource conservation and economic empowerment.