Families in Momi and Wairiki in Nadi will no longer have to use bullocks to carry drums of water up steep hills following the completion of two borehole water projects.
The Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage and Arts provided $9,400 each for the Momi Borehole Water Project and the Wairiki Borehole Water Project at Gunsite.
The Ministry says nine households are benefiting from the Momi project while five households are benefiting from the Wairiki project.
They say for years, some families relied on wells for their daily water needs and used bullocks to carry heavy drums of water uphill because of the difficult terrain, and when the wells dried up, families had to use water from nearby creeks for household needs and buy drinking water.
They add that the new boreholes will provide families with a more reliable source of water for drinking, cooking, washing and sanitation.
Community representative Ajay Maharaj says collecting water was difficult as bullocks sometimes could not pull the drums uphill, while at other times the drums would fall along the way.
Maharaj says this meant families had to return to the wells and start the journey again.
He says the projects have helped address a long-standing challenge faced by families in the communities.
Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Charan Jeath Singh says the two projects are examples of community development initiatives supported under the Multi-Ethnic Grant Programme.
Singh says access to water directly affects the health, wellbeing and daily lives of families.
The Ministry says the projects are part of Government's efforts to support community-led initiatives that improve access to essential services.
