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.
