The relocation of Cogea Village in Vanua Levu has begun with the construction of two pilot houses.

Overseen by the Fiji Council of Social Services, the project aims to build 30 houses in total with the two initial homes designed to assess costs and identify potential areas where expenses can be reduced before expanding the construction effort.

FCOSS Executive Director Vani Catanasiga states that this initial phase is expected to take three months, though this timeline may be ambitious due to delays in obtaining construction materials and unpredictable weather.

Once the two pilot houses are completed, FCOSS plans to proceed with the construction of the remaining 28 houses.

Catanasiga says FCOSS hopes to complete the entire relocation project by June next year but recognizes that an extension might be necessary if weather and logistical challenges persist.

Beyond construction challenges, Catansiga highlights that FCOSS has faced issues such as delays in securing adequate gravel supply and slow delivery of building materials from hardware vendors.

These setbacks, she says were discussed in a recent technical meeting with efforts being made to address the supply chain issues as quickly as possible.

The tender process for the remaining 28 houses is set to be launched later this month and FCOSS is focused on ensuring that reliable vendors are secured to carry out the construction efficiently.

Catanasiga believes that by putting these logistics in place, FCOSS hopes to minimize any future delays and meet the project’s extended timeline, weather permitting.

She adds that villagers have actively participated in planning activities and assisted with site preparation, demonstrating their support for the relocation effort.