Over 40 residents of Daulomani Safe Home, a sanctuary for vulnerable women and children on the outskirts of Lautoka, can now access their home more safely and easily, thanks to the official commissioning of a new access road.
Previously, residents had to navigate muddy sugarcane fields to reach the Home, enduring significant challenges, especially during heavy rains.
President of Daulomani Safe Home Trustees, Vika Leba Vereivalu says this road means more than just what they have witnessed being commissioned yesterday —it means dignity and inclusion.
She says they have waited a long time to see the children have a safer way to get to and from school, and this will change everything for them.
Vereivalu adds that children no longer have to wade through mud to attend school, single mothers can reach the Home more easily, and visitors can now arrive with ease.
The new road is funded at a cost of over $40,000 through the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management’s Community Access Roads, Footpaths, and Footbridges Programme.
While commissioning the project, Assistant Minister for Rural and Maritime Development, Jovesa Vocea urged the residents to care for the new infrastructure.
He says with this investment comes shared responsibility, and people need to maintain it, protect it, and make sure this infrastructure continues to serve not just them, but future residents who will one day seek shelter and healing at the Home.
Vocea also highlighted the Government's commitment to ensuring every Fijian has access to opportunities and services, no matter where they live.
He says this project reflects their trust in the potential of the women and children at Daulomani Safe Home, and their right to a dignified life.
He says it is one of many small yet meaningful steps towards a Fiji where no one is left behind.
