Project Description

Our project is “Constructing a Disaster-Resilient Community Evacuation Centre, in Qelemumumu Village, Labasa, Macuata Province, Vanua Levu. This evacuation centre will act as protective shelters for the community inhabitants from natural disasters such as Tropical Cyclones and floods, and alternatively, when not in use as evacuation centre-as multi-purpose centre (hall) for community activities such as village meetings, assemblies, workshops’ from NGO’s and government agencies and most importantly as a supervised study place for our school students in the evenings to help them in their education especially during this pandemic when learning is being held remotely and online through Zoom, Viber and other learning tech companies.

Project Progress Up to Now

• The village headman (Ilisoni Tuimavana) and Nemani Valeniyasana (Audit and Inventory Team Leader) held talks with the carpenter and men and youths volunteers to start construction of the structure from existing materials that we had like timber frames and a few cement bags to hold direct posts for the structure of the Evacuation Centre.
• Coordination with our 4 community women groups was done by our village headman (Ilisoni Tuimavana), also a team member, for the ladies to prepare meals (lunch) and afternoon tea for the carpenters and volunteers. The 4 groups shared days on which to make meals and afternoon tea.
• The first batch of building materials were purchased and delivered to the construction site and the construction of the structure of the evacuation center began.
• Our youths and men volunteered to help in the construction of the evacuation center and this project has brought even our elders to come and sit around just to supervise the young ones on what to do. Even the smiles on their faces just shows how they appreciate the great help rendered to us by Korea SHE Foundation.
• As of now, you can witnessed the evacuation centre structure being constructed and roofing iron being laid on top. It is such a great achievement that was long awaited for by the many members of our community especially the elders.
• Our team just recently managed to get hold of 23 bags of cement bags which was out of stock for a few months due to border closure and delay in delivery of materials from the mainland supplier (Suva).

Project Plan Forward

• Now, our team is yet to purchase a few other materials which are out of stock to start making cement flooring for the evacuation centre. Materials like;
• Sand
• Gravel
• Mesh rod & Wire
• We have 23 cement bags kept and covered with taurplin at the construction site, ready for the flooring to be mixed.
• We are only left to construct the walls, windows (louvre frames and blades installation and painting of the exterior and interior walls of the evacuation Centre.
• We will be able to do this in the rest of the coming months from August until October.
• Last but not the least, our community women will plant flowers around the hall, hanging up of curtains and even do cleaning of the evacuation centre once it is all done and prepared ready for the opening ceremony by the end of October.

Photos of Project Progress

• These are 10 pictures of our project progress so far as of now.
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