Ra children forced to carry water to school

Families in Nalawa Village, Navitilevu, Ra, are struggling to secure enough water for their daily needs as a prolonged dry spell dries up boreholes, damages crops and disrupts children’s lives at school.

Students are now carrying buckets of water to school to flush toilets and wash their hands. When water is needed, they fetch it from a nearby river.

Former Village Headman Vuniani Nauli says children are being forced to do things they never had to do before.

“Things that our kids never used to do they are doing now. They are now taking buckets to school so they can fill it from the river next to the school whenever they use the toilet and wash their hands.”

The hardship,Nauli states continues at home, where children return to find little or no water for their families. Some must collect more water to meet household needs.

The prolonged dry spell has also affected water sources across the community. Boreholes are drying up, leaving some families dependent on water carts to replenish their supplies.

The village headman has urged residents to conserve water and ration what remains as they wait for rain.

The drought is also threatening farmers’ livelihoods. Cassava planted six months ago has yet to grow because of the dry soil, while other root crops are dying.

Villagers attribute the prolonged dry spell to El Niño, and Nauli is appealing to the relevant authorities for assistance with the water shortage.

For families in Nalawa, the lack of water is affecting more than their household supplies, it is disrupting children’s schooling, threatening food production and making daily life increasingly difficult.