THREE weeks after the flood, people of Semo in Cuvu still cannot return to their homes.
The village was one of the worst affected as villagers lost everything.
All homes were submerged in floodwaters except the church and the pastor's home.
When The Fiji Times visited last week, people were busy cleaning, picking up the pieces and whatever they could recover from the debris left by the floods.
Beds, clothes, refrigerators, TV sets, cooking utensils, tables and chairs were everywhere รน partially buried in mud.
Villager Taniela Vitau said they were still sheltering at neighbouring Nabau Village.
The villagers cleaned up their houses during the day before returning to Nabau in the afternoon. Mr Vitau said one of the biggest challenges was the clearing of mud in the village green.
"All the houses have been cleaned and we are just working on clearing our surroundings," he said.
"But the main problem is clearing the thick mud in the village compound because it's hard to remove the mud with our bare hands or spades.
"We will be asking the government if they can send us a tractor to assist in clearing the debris."
He said the villagers were instructed by the government to remain at the Nabau evacuation centre until the village was cleaned and thoroughly checked by health officials.