My Rotuma Island Visit

An opportunity presented itself for me to visit Rotuma in March, 2021.  The visit had a dual purpose - professional and personal.  After some thirty plus years of learning and practicing engineering, there are civil-structural infrastructure issues on the island that we as a Company could assist with.  The issues involved:  the rehabilitation and upgrade of the Oinafa Jetty; the deterioration of the pavement surface at the recently constructed runway at Malha’a; the rehabilitation of the roof structures of the buildings at Rotuma High School in Malha’a; the structural remediation of the defects and structural anomalies of the building structure for Rotuma Hospital at Ahau and the Ahau, PV Solar project which is not functioning. Both my Father’s parents hail from Rotuma.  My visit enabled me to visit relatives, family and my old school friends across Rotuma.  I was also taken to places which I’d never visited before including the now extinct 60m high volcano crater - Hạfliua Island (also known as the Split Island). The Rotuma Island visit, and experience will be one that shall not be forgotten. Author:  Terence Erasito March 2021 Edition