Posted on September, 07 2021

A total of 401 households in the Tikina of Nacula, Yasawa lockdown area were provided with food rations consisting of 10 kg flour, 10 kg rice, 4kg sugar, 4kg dhal, 2 litres cooking oil and 1 bar washing soap by WWF-Pacific’s project “Enabling Recovery of TC Yasa priority affected communities in Ba and Macuata.”
 
The response was in collaboration with the District representative of Nacula, Lavenia Naivalu and community representatives who were part of a team that travelled to distribute food ration to the villages and settlements.
 
WWF-Pacific’s Monitoring and Evaluation coordinator, Vilisite Tamani highlighted that the support is part of the organizations response towards communities recovering from the effects of Tropical Cyclone Yasa.
 
“The project was signed in March between WWF-Pacific and Coffey International Development as the managing contractor on behalf of the Australian Governments Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), however distribution was delayed due to the lock down in April,” she added.
 
“Seven villages and two settlements were provided with much needed support and these villages were Yaqeta, Matacawalevu, Vuaki,Naisisili, Nacula, Malakati and Navotua, while the settlements are Enadala and Matavewa,” Naivalu said.
 
“When the first COVID-19 case was announced in Naviti about a month ago, I personally predicted that it would reach Nacula, as there have been movements from Island to Island. We are very thankful for the timely assistance because many of our breadwinners have been without work due to the isolation and this has lifted a weight off our shoulders,” she added.
 
In thanking WWF for their continued support towards the district of Nacula, the  Turaga na Tui Drola, Ratu Manasa Naikasowalu highlighted that the supply of 401 food packs was timely given that it was provided on the day that the Ministry of Health had suspended village to village trave within the district.
 
“You brought smiles to every individual in the Nacula Tikina especially in the midst of this pandemic,” said Ratu Manasa, the Chairman of the Nacula Tikina Council and Turaga na Tui Drola.
 
Ame Rokotuibau, the Turaga ni Koro of Navotua village also thanked WWF for the assistance in reaching out to communities.
 
“This assistance will certainly go a long way for us. On behalf of my family, I want to sincerely thankyou for this help,vinaka vakalevu,”he said.
 
In terms of food security, Naivalu added that the villagers are beginning to reap the efforts they had sown, from the knowledge, techniques and skills they gained from the previous workshops conducted by WWF-Pacific in the district.
 
“For the food bank, we are moving new seedlings of banana and vudi to other spots and  for food preservation, most of the time, when the weather is not favourable, the food preservation method that we normally use is smoked fish and I guess all the breadfruits, we do lovo,”
 
“From our food gardens, we are now consuming bananas and vudi and from our seed banks, we are able to grow and consume cabbages, spinach and rosella that was planted a few months ago with seeds supplied by WWF,” she said.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
.