Alipate Seru of Sawaieke Village in Gau no longer needs to be dependent other villagers’ boats to help him put food on the table for his family as he has received a brand new boat and outboard engine.
The assistance has been provided by the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management under the Ministry’s self-help programme.
Boat handover to Mr. Alipate Seru of Gau [Image: Fijian Government]
Seru says he paid just over $5,000 which was one third of the total cost of the boat and the remaining cost was sustained by the government. He says that yaqona farming is his main source of income but the boat will enable him to fish more often.
Seru says he can now also sell fish to earn more money which will greatly support his family’s livelihood. Under the Self-Help programme, communities have been encouraged to initiate their socio-economic sustainable development projects on a cost sharing basis with the Government.
