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Fiji

Veivatuloa, Lobau, and Wailoaloa

Projects • Fiji • Veivatuloa, Lobau, and Wailoaloa

Conservation benefit: Establishment of a 1,500-acre forest preserve and 4,942-acre marine reserve

Community benefit: Electrical infrastructure

Date Approved: 11.2003

Forest

Ocean

A logging company approached these remote villages, offering to pay for connecting the villages to Viti Levu’s existing power grid—in exchange for logging the area’s pristine 1,500-acre rainforest. Despite the fact that the villagers have below-average incomes, the village chief declined this deal. Instead, he insisted on finding non-destructive ways of providing power to the villages.

The villages have agreed to establish both a forest reserve and marine reserve. In exchange, Seacology is providing the funds necessary to connect the three villages to the island’s power grid.

Project Updates

October 2007

In August, Seacology provided some additional funds to complete the wiring in the houses before connecting the power lines. In September the FEA completed the connection to the three villages, and electricity is now flowing to houses. Saula Vodonaivalu reported that villagers are very happy with the new electricity and asked him to send their message of sincere appreciation to Seacology.

January 2007

In September 2006 the FEA brought the lines to the village in preparation for final installation, but had to postpone connecting the village to the electrical grid until the government provides their portion of the project funding. Field Representative Saula Vodonaivalu Jr. will continue to follow up with the FEA to complete the project.

June 2006

The FEA postponed work to connect the village to the grid system until after the Fiji elections scheduled for May 2006.

January 2006

In December 2005 wiring was installed in the three villages and at Namosi School, which serves all three villages. The Fiji Electricity Authority (FEA) is moving toward the area. Field Representative Saula Vodonaivalu Jr. expects that FEA will be working in the three villages’ area in early 2006. In the meantime, thanks to generous donations to Seacology from friends of Dr. Paul Cox in Iceland and Sweden, Seacology funded a repainting project and provided books for the library at Namosi School. Repainting and book distribution took place before the students’ holiday break in December 2005.

July 2005

Work was scheduled to commence at the end of February 2005. However, the Electricity Authority has delayed work until they receive matching funds from the Fiji government. They informed the village chiefs that they expect the work to be completed by the end of 2005. Seacology’s June 2005 Fiji expedition for Japanese Fellows visited the three villages to celebrate the villagers’ commitment to the project.

July 2004

The work to connect the three villages to the power grid is on Fiji’s Electricity Authority project list. However, the project is 35th in line on the Authority’s 2004 project list.

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Veivatuloa, Lobau, and Wailoaloa

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