Nabavatu Village Relocation Nears Completion After Five Years in Tents

Thirty-seven families in Nabavatu Village, Macuata, are on the verge of ending a five-year stay in temporary tents as their new village relocation project nears its final stages of construction, fbcnews.com.fj reported. All 37 homes at the site are now structurally standing, leaving only finishing touches before residents can finally move indoors.

Building Material Shortages Push Back Move-In Date

Nabavatu Village Headman Moritikai Waqawaqa noted that getting materials delivered on schedule remains the primary operational hurdle for the project.

The construction work is progressing well, and we are so excited about what has been done so far. The only challenge is the timely availability of materials from the supplier. That has been causing some delays, but it is still on track for completion in the coming months.

Moritikai Waqawaqa

Weather Extremes Test Resident Resilience in Tents

For the past half-decade, the displaced households relied on canvas and temporary structures originally meant to serve only as short-term housing. Waqawaqa explained that the prolonged duration in these makeshift setups severely tested community endurance, particularly when severe weather and annual cyclone seasons struck the Macuata region.

Despite living in the tents for the last five years, we have seen how resilient our villagers have become. There have been challenges, especially during the cyclone season, because the tents were only supposed to be temporary living spaces. But we are all thankful that this will soon be over as we move into our new homes.

Moritikai Waqawaqa

Final Construction Push Targets Year-End Completion

Workmen are actively pressing forward on the remaining interior and exterior finish work across the property. Project managers anticipate that all remaining construction tasks will wrap up in time for the entire community of 37 families to transition out of the tents before the end of 2026.