Rotary Australia World Community Service
(RAWCS) Teams Working in
Lautoka, Fiji
Ken Owen July 2005
Early in June 2005 seven Rotarians from Eltham, Heidelberg, Coburg and Pascoe Vale clubs together with three non-Rotarian volunteers, left Melbourne to do voluntary work constructing Rotahomes for people living in destitute conditions in Fiji.
The Rotary Club of Lautoka, and particularly the driving force of local Rotarian Peter Drysdale, saw the need for rehousing these people. This project aimed to eliminate very poor housing conditions in western Viti Levu Island and demonstrate how quickly and cheaply it was possible to develop legal sub-divisions with full services and cyclone resistant homes.
Three years ago the Rotary Club of Geelong sent two of it’s members to develop a ninety-lot subdivision plan. This subdivision incorporated all necessary infrastructure, roads, power, sewerage, water etc. When these plans had been approved by the appropriate Fijian Government departments, and utilizing additional Matching Grants from Rotary Foundation, the building on these low cost shelters commenced.
One or two teams of 5-6 members from Australia and New Zealand worked together on the project. Teams consisting of professional builders, plumbers and other tradesmen worked with Rotarians and local Fijians willing to learn new skills.
Peter Drysdale’s initiative has resulted, to date, in the construction of about sixty homes at a cost of $4000 each. Our two teams from District 9790 completed construction of two shelters and a third which was half completed, to be finished by a following team.
The greatest satisfaction was to witness the delight in the faces of the people as they move from their tin shanties into their comfortable new homes.
This was a very worthwhile project.
