VUAKI villagers in the Yasawa Group have had water issues for more than 20 years.
Village spokesman Iosefa Rabakewa said with more than 50 households, the community survived on rainwater and small streams.
“We depend on rainwater, but when it’s the dry season, all we have is our tanks. The small streams that we have near the village dries up too so we have to walk for 20 minutes during low tide to the nearest water source.
“We have to walk through the shore while its low tide. If we take too long we will have to swim back with our washing.
“For some of us, it takes the whole day to bring water for our families.” He said it was the women who suffered the most.
“They are the ones who have to take the washing. We help with filling up the gallons and if we didn’t have boats during high tide, some of us would be carrying those heavy gallons back to the village.”
He added that the village has sought help from the Government.
“We informed Government about our struggles and we are grateful that the Ministry of Lands and Mineral Resources sent some of their surveyors.
“They looked for possible water sources, but at this point we haven’t received any feedback. We’ve suffered for too long.”
He said they hoped that they would receive some good news.
