As a reminder of the first visit by the President of Fiji, the people of Salia in Lau have engraved on breadfruit trees in the village the words "The President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau set foot on Salia today".
The people of Salia in Lau will not forget this day, as some engraved in the Lauan dialect the words, "The President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau set foot on Salia today", on breadfruit trees in the village.
Turaga ni Koro of Salia village in Nayau, Temo Bese said this is because it is the first time for the President to set foot on the island, something they never believed will happen.
Bese said that one of the major issues they have been trying to deal with after Cyclone Tomas was fixing the houses that were damaged, with about 37 families left homeless.
It was a relief for the villagers this morning, after the President's entourage arrived with housing equipment and manpower from the 3FIR and the RFMF Engineers, to build new houses for those who lost their homes during the Cyclone.
Bese said they spoke very openly with the President and aired views on water problems and the need to have new water tanks and they also asked for assistance to build new cement pig-pans.
Bese said the President re-assured them that their needs will be looked into once all the requests are brought in from all the islands he will be visiting.
The President has already left Nayau and will be in Lakeba tomorrow.
He will be in Vanuavatu and Oneata tomorrow, Moce and Kabara on Friday, Fulaga and Vatoa on Saturday, Onoi Lau on Sunday and Matuku on Monday.
