Kakali's Story

"My name is Kakali, and I am from Waitoga village, Nairai. We used to live in a deteriorated house; the floor and walls were not good, and even the roof leaked severely during heavy rain, which was unsuitable for occupancy. So, our aim as a couple when my husband was still alive was to construct a new house. In the program's first round, I committed myself to it by weaving my very best mat to build our new home. We walked together as a couple, from harvesting the voivoi to weaving the mat. I then requested to weave four mats, which was approved. I committed myself to weaving and setting aside all other obligations to fulfill our family dream. The day of payment arrived, and all had to gather at the village community hall. As soon as I received my brown envelope and saw my name written on it, I was so emotional and thanked God for the program introduced to the village by Rise Beyond the Reef. At that very moment, I knew our dream had come true. The following week, the ship arrived and had given the money to purchase a corrugated iron roof, and then two weeks later, the roofing iron came.

I could pay for the fuel to rip the timber for my house frame by weaving one more mat. My son constructed the house, and it took him only one week to build our home. I am so thankful for the program enabling us to fulfill our dreams."

 

 

Thank you for reading Kakali's story. We work with hundreds of women like Kakali who are highly motivated to take any opportunities they can to improve their lives and their families'. The women we work with know what they need. We invite you to join us in listening to and following the lead of remote, indigenous, Pasifika women to help develop more opportunities for them to thrive!

 

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