“We might not be paying for a lot of bills but we also struggle to survive everyday.”

Those were the words of 32 year old, Vakacegu Nemani from Ogea Island in Lau who has been working hard to sell some of his craft work so he can send his pregnant wife to Suva.

For Nemani and other villagers of Ogea, crafting and fishing are the only source of income on the island.

Speaking to Fijivillage in Ogea, Nemani says the normal situation for any couple on the island is to save enough money to get to Suva for labor or for education.

He adds that some of the issues they face is the lack of boat services and the lack of food stock in their village shop.

The boat services to the island of Ogea usually go once a month.

Nemani strongly believes that his hard work will in time benefit his family in the future.