KOROIPITA is a beautiful place to live and Peter Drysdale is an angel.
As the words flow out of Sushil Chand's mouth, his eyes fill with emotion and he has to recover for a few seconds before continuing to speak.
"I have lived in Koroipita for eight years and I can tell you that you will not find another town in Fiji and maybe in the world that is as beautiful as this place," says the 48-year-old landscaper. Previously, Chand says, life for his family was difficult and the family struggled to eke out a living while renting in Lautoka.
"Life was hard. It was very difficult.
"Everything I earned went to rent, food and my children's education. There was nothing that could be saved in case there was a medical emergency in the family."
The decision to move to Koroipita has brought significant changes to Chand's family. "The rent here is so affordable. Where else in Fiji can you rent a house for $1 a day?
"And the living conditions here are so good for families, everyone lives peacefully and respects each other and we have a chance to learn new things that many of us would never get a chance to do anywhere else."
Chand lives with his wife Nasmun, four children and three grandchildren in Koroipita.
After doing casual work around Lautoka for many years, he is now employed as a landscaper at Koroipita Stage 2.