The Community Based Emergency Employment (CBEE) project and ILO staff assist cyclone victim

The Community Based Emergency Employment (CBEE) project has provided wages and tools to support three villages in Tailevu to clear farm areas that were damaged by the recent cyclone and commence replanting. The immediate objective of the CBEE was to support food security and loss of income of the identified villages through a social protection lens.

News | 26 May 2016
Ms.Vinaina Tinai in her home

Eighty four year old Vinaina Tinai lost all her belongings including her home during Tropical Cyclone Winston. She was then billeted at the village church in Nabulini village for two and a half months until the commencement of the CBEE project.

One day of work during the CBEE project was dedicated to re-building her home using a team of 5 villagers. During one of the monitoring visits by the ILO team, it was revealed that her newly built home of corrugated iron did not have proper household items and basic necessities.

Although Ms. Tinai has little left of her belongings, she offered her home to an intellectually disabled women, who was abandoned by her immediate family.

The ILO staff then raised funds to help buy basic items for Ms.Tinai. This was handed to her at her new home by Mr. Alifereti Bulivou, Programme Officer for Disaster Management.

She expressed her gratitude by thanking the ILO Suva office staff for helping her rebuild her life and her sentiments were echoed by the village headman, Mr. Naibuka Tarasese.

Mr. Tarasese said " In the Fijian custom, we believe if you help the elderly in particular a widow, you will continue to receive many good blessings."