37 families of Nabavatu who are still residing at a temporary site will finally have a place to call home after the groundbreaking ceremony of the Nabavatu Relocation Project by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Sakiasi Ditoka.
He says the decision to relocate was not taken lightly and was mandated as a measure of last resort.
Ditoka says it has been a challenging few years for the people of Nabavatu, who have been living in a state of displacement, away from their homes and adapting to new surroundings.
The Minister says initially 85 families were relocated to the Dreketi Assembly of God's compound as a temporary site and some have build their own houses while others have moved away.
He further says that it took the government more than three years to finalize the new proposed relocation site.
He says the two sites identified earlier were not approved, and the government engaged in serious discussions, following due process to ensure that the tender procedures were properly carried out.
Ditoka says this planned relocation will be the first relocation project guided by the Standard Operating Procedure for planned relocation and is the first relocation initiative funded by the Relocation of Communities Trust Fund.
The total cost of the relocation project is approximately $5.9 million.
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