‘We want development’

Some women in Labasa  want a quick resolution to the country’s longstanding land problem and a remedy to end the coup sickness.

AS the consultation, dialogue and the debate on the proposed People’s Charter gains momentum at grassroots level, it is getting clearer how serious and desperate the ordinary people are to better their lives.

What is amazing is that women are now coming out strongly, calling for a change,

Some of the participants during the public consultation exercise

wanting more development and progress in the country.

They want three decent meals a day, affordable education and health care, roads and bridges, and safety for their loved ones.

The wish-list goes on, asking the Interim Government to find a quick resolution to the country’s longstanding land problem and a remedy to end the coup sickness.

These views were expressed at a recent workshop in Labasa, organized to brief the public on the purpose of drafting the proposed People’s Charter, and reflected in the interviews held by the Technical and Support Secretariat, with some Northerners.

Some came strongly calling for ‘genuine development’ in the Northern Division, explaining the vulnerable situation they were in, given the lack of investment in the Northern town; some of them did not mince their words blaming all past Governments for neglecting the North.

Some women’s groups which were present at the workshop suggested that the proposed People’s Charter should recommend a full implementation of the highly-publicized ‘Look-North policy’, to boost economic development in the North.

A businesswoman amongst the group present highlighted the urgent need for an improvement in the North for infrastructure and utilities in order to attract both local and foreign investment.

This, she pointed out, was the responsibility of the Government of the day, if they were to facilitate the growth of primary and secondary industries. 

She went on to suggest  that all  citizens also  had a responsibility to ask of themselves what it was that they could do to help Fiji move forward and then do what they can to make it happen. 

“Whatever problems we are facing are the symptoms of a greater sickness such as poor economic planning and incompetent administrative policies brought upon the nation through bad governance by incompetent politicians chosen by the people!!  We all know what the problems are” she said.

“Now we need to get together, both the government and the people of Fiji and identify the solutions to these problems and act on them  once and for all. This will put Fiji on the road to progress. Surely the People’s Charter is the best way of doing this”

Making a submission to the National Council for Building a Better Fiji, some of them said they welcomed the proposal to draft a course such as one proposed through the People’s Charter, but they want the National Council for Building a Better Fiji, to make a commitment to improve the lives of the people of the North.Most of them, however, said there should be more awareness at the grassroots level.

They said most times, it is the women who have to take a frontline in fighting poverty as they are the home-makers.

“We want more development. Labasa has been waiting for development for sometime now,” one woman said.

“If the proposed People’s Charter comes in place and the incoming Governments implement it, we, all should be hopeful to see changes in our lives. Therefore, we should all come forward and make our views known.”

Other calls include: development of a port of entry in Labasa; improvements to infrastructure, in particular, roads in both the urban as well as rural areas; access to clean drinking water; job creation to  contain rural-urban drift and internal migration to Viti Levu, setting up a well- equipped tertiary institution and taking care of displaced farmers.

They called for a solution to end the land crisis, a solution which would benefit all parties – the landlords, tenants as well as the country.
Some women from the farming background, said their lives had changed drastically after they were displaced from their farms.

“We lost our livelihood when my parents were displaced from their farm in Daku, Labasa three years ago…that piece of land was everything for us. We would not have had to go through this pain and face this problem if the previous Governments had succeeded in resolving the land issue,” said one high school student.

“I hope that this national initiative will succeed in formulating a practical solution to solve the land problem; the problem is a huge one and therefore, everyone should dialogue to find a solution.”

The women stressed the Government must move in quickly to arrest the rising levels of poverty.

NCBBF’s consultation document for the preparation of the State of Nation (SNE) report, states that women tend to face a higher risk of poverty destitution due to labour force discrimination, as well as increased divorce and separation rates and the related problems in collecting maintenance payments from ex-spouse.

This reality is reflected in the fact that women constitute the majority of beneficiaries of the Social Welfare department’s Family Assistance Allowance Scheme.

The consultation document also explains that a lack of basic infrastructure (roads, potable water, electricity, telecommunication services) aggravates the poor living conditions of many;  the provisions of modern utilities is an essential precondition  for the diffusion of economic opportunities throughout the different regions of the country, in particular, the inadequate provision of ports, jetties and regular inter-island shipping services is a major concern to those living in the other islands.

The NCBBF, is hopeful, that through the public contribution, they will be able to develop a People’s Charter, which will have solutions to these deep-rooted problems.

One man said the proposed People’s Charter should carry pragmatic solutions to these problems.

“I am a casual labourer and I am struggling every moment of my life to feed a family of six; With the rising cost of food, I have to dig deeper in my pockets to ensure my four children are able to make it to school daily; I have sleepless nights when I don’t have a job,” said Salesh Prasad.

“I am hoping that the proposed People’s Charter will have solutions to my problems. I do not want hand-outs from the Government but I want the Government of the day, to be in a position to create more jobs, have a policy in place where casual labourers like myself, are paid a decent wage rate.”

Prasad said whatever little he understood about the proposed People’s Charter, he thinks it’s a great idea, as the NCBBF is giving people like him, a chance to raise their concerns and make suggestions.

“I thank the Interim Government for ensuring that our views are taken on board, I mean the very ordinary people are invited to give their views to them as they write up the proposed Charter; we, the public should use this opportunity to  our advantage and tell them about our problems and what we want,” he said.

Those at the workshop agreed that the proposed People’s Charter should set out a

Head of the Public Relations Media Team, Filimone Kau with a participant at the workshop

clear vision for the future direction of the society, where there is respect among the different communities living here, and equal treatment of groups who are unequally situated and have unequal access to opportunity together with access to the very basics in life, such as clean drinking water, food, housing, affordable education and health care and a stable society.

A high-powered public awareness campaign is underway around the country with the teams informing and educating the people on the proposal.

Head of the Public Relations and Media Team, Filimone Kau said it is important for the public to understand that the proposed Charter may not give a quick fix to the national problems but carry long-term solutions.

Mr Kau said the public, therefore, must fully participate in this very significant national initiative and make their views known to the NCBBF.

“We all can contribute to the solutions. You must all come forward and help build a better Fiji ,” he said.

This feature is compiled by  the Public Relations Media Team with the Technical Secretariat for the National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF).