Women and the Sea

The majority of the activities that are funded under this initiative are in support of communities that are part of the Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMA). These communities are committed to managing their marine resources. Given the small amounts of funds involved, IOI-PI decided that the money should be used to directly assist community initiatives, particularly those that are part of the quest for alternative sources of livelihood.

IOI-PI aims to continue with its community resource management initiatives. A number of useful links have been established with Frontier-Fiji, JICA, Peace Corp and USP staff and students who will be supported to undertake community-based resource management initiatives in their countries. Initiatives currently supported include the following:

• Community-driven initiatives

• Women-driven initiatives

• Musical initiatives

 

 

Community-driven initiatives

Bulavou Cooperative : Funding was provided for kava trading from Gau;

Bulivono Clan : Funding was given to this group to buy and sell copra from the villagers in Nacavanadi. The provision of this source of income is expected to assist the people meet their financial needs;

Burelailai Community Development : The project purchases and sells copra from the villagers in Lamiti Village, Gau Island. This initiative will provide an additional source of income for the villagers and improve their standard of living; 

Derek Suimane : This student has been given funds to work with his people in the Solomon Islands to start a piggery;

Dranilagilagi Development Project : Support was given for the purchasing and selling of copra from the villagers of Lekanai. The initiative will provide a source of income and a better standard of living for the villagers;

Drakulu Development Project : Funds for this project were given for the buying and selling of dried pandanus leaves and trochus shells from the villagers. This will be a source of income for people and assist in improving their standard of living;

Education support : Scholarships for 10 Senior High School students were offered to Gau Secondary School where most of the children from the 18 villages of Gau Island attend. This scholarship will be known as the Elisabeth Mann Borgese Memorial Scholarship ;

Follow-up visit and Workshop to Tikina Vanuaso : Assistance was provided for a 1 week follow up visit to the 6 villages in Vanuaso Tikina in Gau Island in order to ascertain the progress of their coastal habitat rehabilitation. Also, compost toilets and smokeless stoves were introduced as better alternatives for the communities;

Katudrau Project : The youths in Lovu Village , Gau are operating a fishing business. They buy fish from the villagers and sell them within the island;

Marika Vosa : This family purchases mats from their relatives in the villages and sell them in towns on the western side of Viti Levu;

Naovuka Punt Assistance : Support was given to allow the villagers in Naovuka to purchase an outboard motor for their village. The villagers provided the punt and this would be used to transport children to school and the people around Gau;

Nukusa Village Udu : The village youth were given an outboard engine to power a punt that they had built during a workshop in Labasa. The punt will transport  children to school and will be used for fishing;

Panel discussion on Ocean Governance : A panel discussion was organised for the proposed Customary Fisheries and Marine Resources Management Bill for Fiji. This important Bill proposes the return to customary owners of the land and the propriety ownership rights over their fishing grounds. The Bill has implications for coastal resources throughout the country;

Qioniwasa Project : This is a copra purchasing venture that is based in Vadravadra Village, Gau. The family had been operating a small venture for years and wanted to extend their operation to assist the people in the village; 

Samuela Qalobula : People cut copra within Urata Estate and the Qalobula family sell the processed copra;

Support for USP’s Lomaiviti Students Association : This aid was for a 1 week awareness and community development tour of Gau Island by the students of  USP. Students promoted environmental and educational development and assisted in village community projects;

Taniela Delaiverata Piggery : Funds were provided to allow the fencing of this piggery farm. Mr Delaiverata is a graduate of the Navuso Agricultural School; 

Taveadamu Youth : Support was given to this bee keeping venture, owned by a family in Nakorotubu, Sasa, Macuata. The family has been producing honey and is eager to increase their operation and production;

Tokatoka Navunilagi Scheme : This initiative aims to purchase and sell fuel in Nacavanadi Village, Vanuaso Tikina, Gau Island. The project seeks to provide an income for the group while assisting in the improvement of their standard of living. Fuel will be purchased from the island and not from the mainland;

 

 

                                 Musical initiatives      

• Aisake Tabuya : Support was given to this Kadavu lad to record a family album which his family then sold;

• Delai Sea : Support was given to this youth group to record its music. The group reached the top of the charts in Fiji and established itself as an entertainment unit available for hire. They are now a commercial band and own their own equipment;

• Malawai Youth Choir : The Youth Choir from Malawai Village was support to record their hymns and to sell CDs of their songs. Their income was then used to repay the grant;

• Southern Juniors: This Youth Group was supported to record its music so that they could make money from the sale of CDs;

• Voqa ni Delai Navatanawa : Support was given to this youth group to record its music and sell its CDs;

 

                                          Women-driven initiatives

• Daku Village in Kadavu : Support was given to the women of Daku in setting up a honey/ bee keeping venture. Also, the women produced sulu which are sold to  tourists visiting Kadavu;

• Laisiana Cola : This woman operates a stall at the Suva market. Support was given for purchasing pandanus leaves from the people of Koro Island ;

• Marama Racule : Support was given to allow the expansion of this kava selling operation;

• Miriama Komai : The venture is operated by a woman who has undertaken government training in managing a small business and in sewing. Support  was given for her to sew and sell these clothes from her neighbourhood;

• Nadroga Women : The project enabled USP's Institute of Applied Science to provide ICM and gender issues training to women in Tikina-Wai in Nadroga;

• Ole Siosiomaga Society : The Society was given money to organise awareness workshops for women on the Millenium Development Goals;

• Ronnell and Belona Women Souvenir Shop : This venture was set up to allow local women to sell their artifacts, carvings and souvenirs to tourists. The money was to be repaid and used to support other community groups;

• Vanuaso Women Mat Purchasing Funding : This was supported to allow the women of Vanuaso Tikina to buy mats from the villagers on the island. The mats are sold in Suva and provide an alternative source of money for people. This initiative has been fully repaid and is continuing to sell mats; 

•  Vanuatu Community Sustainable Environmental Revolving Fund Scheme : This assistance was given to partners in Vanuatu who planned to use the funds to operate a micro-financing scheme to assist women and youth enterprises. The aim is to provide financial assistance to support community-based activities. Such assistance is expected to be repaid so that it can provide a revolving fund to assist other communities.

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