Category: General

A Spiritual Lens: Vuci Senior Pastor, Reverend Kaliova Naisorotabua

The Vuci Methodist Church Senior Pastor, Reverend Kaliova Naisorotabua takes us into detail as regards how the Vanua o Naivirourou is guided spiritually through fasting and prayer. More imperative is how Vuci village and its youth remain steadfast in faith as the world changes around them.

Liuliu ni Yavusa Naturuturukula: His View on Natural Disasters

Ratu Peni Kamarusi, leader of Yavusa Naturuturukula, shares his thoughts on the various natural disasters that Vuci village is prone to experience, such as flash floods, landslides and torrential rains; plus the aftereffects on the villagers, such as displacement, loss of homes and belongings and damaged food crops. He also weighs in on the importance of a new Evacuation Centre, citing the safety the villagers would have as a result of its construction.

Vuci Youth Rep Speaks on New Recreational Hall and Evacuation Centre

Ratu Niko Kalounivalu, Youth Rep for the village, expresses his thoughts on the construction of the new community recreational hall and evacuation centre. 

He is particularly happy that soon, Vuci will have a safe place for village events as well as a refuge for flood-prone residents during rough and inclement weather. 

NI SA BULA VINAKA Na Lawa ni Koro o Vuci sa Vakatabui kina na e loma ni Koro na:

1.  E vakatabui me dua e vakatara, vakavuna se vakadonuya na Vakasausa ena Koro ena gauna ni mateni se bula vinaka. Oqo e wili kina na

  • Kaikaila, Vosavosa Ca, Vakosakosa ena vakatagi retio se sipika lelevu, yaya ni vakatagi ka vakasausataka na nodra vakacegu kei na vakanomodi na lewe ni Koro vakavo ke sa vakadonuya na Turaga ni Koro ka me yalani me yacova ga na 11.00pm ena bogi.

2.  E vakatabui me ra curuma mai vakaveitalia na Koro na Vulagi ka dodonu me vakaraitaki vei Turaga ni Koro kevaka edua na vulagi e vinakati me curu mai kina Koro.

3.  E vakatabui na vakaisala e loma ni Koro. E vakatarai ga ena gauna ni cakacaka Vakoro vei ira sa warai na drau ni Uludra.

4.  E vakatabui na tea, kania se volitaka na waigaga ni veivakamatenitaki e na Koro.

5.  E vakatabui na vakaisulu vakataoni ena Koro vei ira na Marama. E vinakati nai sulusulu e rokova, doka ka maroroya na noda tiko vakavanua se vakaveiwekani.

6.  E vakatabui na kena maroroi e dua sa vakacalai vakalawa ena Koro.

7.  E vakatabui na vakavu ca kei na veivakasaurarataki ena Koro.

8.  E vakatabui me ra qito tiko na Gone ena 6.00pm mai na Moniti kina Sigatabu.

9.  Kevaka e dua e beitaki ena veicala lelevu me vaka na kucu, butako kei na tea, kania se volitaka na waigaga ni veivakamatenitaki e dodonu me vakaraitaki vei Turaga ni Koro ka me ripotetaki vei iratou na Ovisa.

10.  E vakatabui na benu vakaveitalia ena Koro. Sa kerei vei keda kece sara na Lewe ni Koro me da yadrava ka tokona na kena rokovi, dokai ka vakamuri na lawa ni Koro oqo.

Vinaka saka vakalevu.

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The Vuci Village Evacuation Centre In Brief

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka Saka Mai. This is a brief summary concerning the building of our Vuci Village Evacuation Centre now formally named as the Raturagalevu Hall & Evacuation Centre, in the Tokatoka district of the province of Tailevu.
Introduction
This specific build project was begun in 2012 with the leadership of the late Tui Vuci, Ratu Anare Rasumusumu. In 2017, a group of men and women of the village who were well educated and working in various institutions and organisations in the public and private sectors in Fiji were selected as board members for the village investment initiative called the Naivirourou Millenium Holdings Limited (NMHL) – the committee that looked after the development of the village.
In 2018, the building of the hall and evacuation centre was included as a priority in the inaugural Vuci Village Strategic Development Plan of 2018-2023, Core Area 1– Mitigating Climate Change Impact in our Community.
One of our board members, Mr. Tony Dravukatia who is employed in the Ministry of Infrastructure reviewed and redesigned the building plan of the hall and evacuation centre in 2019. That revised building plan has been followed closely until now for the completion of the build.
The 2021 Vuci Day fundraising targeted development initiatives in the village including education scholarships for children and youths in the village, assistance to the various groups in the village such as youths and the women and the different church groups too. Other activities included the construction of raised concrete footpaths around the village including solar-powered lights for their illumination in the night as well as meeting administration costs for the village.
The 2023 Vuci Day fundraising was specifically marked for the completion of the Vuci hall and evacuation centre which is now being completed in September/October, 2024.

Description of the Vuci Village Evacuation Centre

  • Ground Floor – The ground floor of the Raturagalevu Hall & Evacuation Centre holds the Women’s Resource Centre, the Youth Resource Centre, a Kindergarten/Library, a village dispensary for the Community Health Worker (CHW) or the village nurse, the village headman’s office as well as an ablution block;
  • First Floor – The first floor of the building holds a village meeting house, as well as the evacuation centre for natural and man-made disasters, a briefing room as well spaces for food preparation, and an ablution

Disability Friendly Access
The building is designed to have Disability Friendly Access through the use of a international standardised concrete access ramp that was designed and built through the expert advice of the Adventist Development & Relief Agency (ADRA). The main purpose of the inclusion of a ramp is to facilitate quick assistance and access for members of the village who are physically handicapped/challenged including those on wheelchairs, are blind, those who are elderly, the too young and those suffering from chronic diseases. In times of disaster and crisis, the evacuation centre can accommodate more than 200 people at any one time.

The Funding of the Hall & Evacuation Centre
The construction of the building has been funded through a joint funding model between the village and the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs (MITA) through a government program called Village Improvement Scheme (VIS). The estimated total cost of the build is about FJD$450,000 and is expected to be completed in September, 2024 with a formal opening and commissioning of the building in October, 2024 too.
Village Emergency & Disaster Risk & Reduction Committee Formed
An emergency and disaster risk reduction committee was formed in the village after the ADRA non-government organisation (NGO) conducted after a 3-evenings awareness and training session in the village. The committee includes members who represent a wide section of the community such as youth boys and girls, women, men, and the mentally and or physically challenged.
Peacetime Income Generation of the Raturagalevu Hall & Evacuation Centre
It is expected that the hall and evacuation centre will generate minimal income for the village during peacetimes. During peacetimes, other communal activities such as trainings and other social gatherings – weddings, birthdays and other celebration functions may be held in the Hall & Evacuation Centre. This also includes the hosting of trainings, awareness sessions, meetings and other functions for the district as well as the nearby provinces of Tailevu, Rewa and Naitasiri.

    More Photos Here
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    ADRA Training on Climate Resilience to Vuci Village Community

    About 41 villagers from the village of Vuci, Tokatoka in Tailevu attended 3 evenings of awareness and preparation training on a concerted village response during climate-induced events. The flood-prone village, one of many located along the silt-rich deltas of the Rewa river is experiencing increased instances of flooding due to inundation from high moon tides, consecutive days of heavy rain as well as flooding due to high rainfalls during cyclones. This is one of the realities of climate change that the village now faces daily. 

    The training from the 16th to the 19th of April this year 2024, was conducted by the Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji. Attended by the village elders, men, women, youths, school children as well as the Tokatoka district representative to the Tailevu Provincial Council, the training has been applauded as informative and timely by the community whose evacuation centre is currently under construction. ADRA trainer and event facilitator, Mr. Eseroma Ledua said the training on Evacuation Centre Management, included preparations for emergencies as well as the general maintenance of an evacuation site. He added that an emergency response plan was developed by the participants and a committee has been formed to coordinate the village response during an emergency. These were the two main outputs of the 3-evenings training session. The training program content was as follows: –  

    VUCI EVACUATION CENTRE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP

    DAY 1 – 16/4/2024

    1.      Registration

    2.      Welcome and Introductions

    3.      Expectations of the workshop

    4.      Introduction on the EC Management and Operations including Biblical Context

    5.      Communication and Reporting Procedures- DISMAC Emergency Structure

    6.      Community Mapping

    7.      Inclusivity (PWD (access/ provisions in the EC and the community), LGBTQI, Elderly, Lactating mothers, Children etc.), Protection (Gender) and Safety in EC’s

    DAY 2 – 17/4/2024

    1.      Rapid Needs Assessment and Initial Damage Assessment- (community/ settlement process and conducts it)

    2.      Identify triggers of when and why an evacuation centre needs to be activated. – Fiji Govt EC Management SOP, Page 7

    3.      Occupancy Space per Person in an EC and Minority Groups (partitions/ (privacy screens/ curtains etc)

    4.      How to manage and maintain an evacuation centre (EC Checklist/ Guidelines- Fiji Govt)

    DAY 3 – 18/4/2024

    1.      Evacuation Centre Checklist- Fiji Govt EC Management SOP, Annex A – F

    2.      Disaster Committee and community Roles in an evacuation

    3.      Tabletop simulation- (Roundtable Discussion)- Hurricane/ Flood Simulation including Evacuation Route

    4.      Debrief

    5.      Closing of workshop

     

    The selected emergency committee members include representatives from all sections of the village. They are Pita Dure Ladiniwasa (men’s representative), Kelera Secake (women’s representative),  Joeli Raduva (youth representative), Torika Rokoduru (village nurse), Sera Ravuoco (student’s representative), Timoci Tilolo (village headman) and the church padre, Talatala Tonia Vosatale. 

     
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