The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) Engineers Regiment is in Tavua Village in Koro Island leading the reconstruction of a church that was severely damaged by Cyclone Winston in 2016.
The project is being constructed by 5 members from the 1 Construction Squadron under the leadership of Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Abraham Salem.
WO2 Salem stated that when the team first arrived in November last year, only the church’s old footings remained.
He says as a result, they had to demolish the structure and rebuild it from the ground up, however, construction was temporarily stopped as the team returned to Suva for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
WO2 Salem says now that they have resumed work, and with the support of the community, they have successfully completed 10 percent of the project.
He adds they continue to collaborate closely with local villagers to ensure the project remains on schedule.
Village headman Nemani Buliruarua expressed his gratitude for the engineers' efforts, emphasizing the community's full support for the initiative.
He praised the strong partnership between the villagers and the RFMF, which has been instrumental in driving progress.
The reconstruction, with an estimated budget of $190,000, has been funded by the villagers of Tavua, including those residing in urban areas and overseas.
As part of the project, solar panels will be installed, and new church benches will be built upon completion.
