Chicks bring hope to farmer
Paula Cagi is a 47 year-old farmer/fisherman rebuilding his life and livelihood after Tropical Cyclone Winston left him devastated.
Standing by the foundation of what was left of his home, Cagi recalls the “horror” vividly.
“We watched our house uprooted by the strong winds and then swept out to the sea by the angry surging waves. Nearly 85% of the houses in this village were damaged or completely destroyed. “
“It not only took my home, but my farm and my boat, all destroyed by huge waves and wind, it left me nothing,” he said.
His village, Nataleira in Dawasamu was directly in the path of Cyclone Winston when it passed over Viti Levu on February 21.
To help this father of four begin rebuilding his life, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has provided Cagi with 12 day-old chicks with feed to help them reach maturity in six weeks.
“This means a lot to me,” said Cagi. “I have lost everything. When they brought the chicks, it gave me hope that I can rebuild what I have lost, especially my farm which was a source of income.”
In total, 4,200 day-old chicks have been distributed to 350 other small farmers and women’s group in Fiji affected by Cyclone Winston.
FAO, in coordination with Government, is targeting three priority areas, crops, livestock and fisheries, to restore food supplies and sources of income for those most badly affected by the cyclone.
Small farmers who received the chicks were the first beneficiaries of the Livestock Emergency Response Project, funded by the FAO, the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA).