L-R: Vanuatu Fisheries Officer, Pita Neihapi, Dr Jokim Kitolelei of the USP PEUMP and Leitonga Ben recipient of the Financial Literacy training, conducted at Tanoliu in August 2024.
Emau, Vanuatu (6 October, 2025): On the small island of Emau, about 30 minutes from mainland Shefa in Vanuatu, lives Leitonga Ben, a determined small business owner. She began her journey running a namakal (kava bar), which provided steady income for her family. But in 2024, an opportunity came that helped her think bigger about her business and her future.
In August 2024, Leitonga attended a Financial Literacy Training in Tanoliu, Vanuatu, supported by the USP component of the Pacific European Union Marine Partnership (USP PEUMP) programme, funded by the European Union and the Government of Sweden. The training opened her eyes to the importance of budgeting, saving, and prioritizing income.
With the new knowledge, Leitonga diversified her business. Together with her husband, she ventured into fishing, investing carefully in what they needed to grow. Over time, they were able to purchase new eskis, bait, fishing lines, life jackets, and other essentials to strengthen their business. Their fishing income not only provided for the family but also helped them build their home; a dream they had long carried.
“Budgeting and prioritizing funds has helped me purchase all these,” Leitonga explained proudly. Through careful savings, she has also managed to pay school fees for her daughter, put aside emergency funds stored safely in a bottle, and make plans for the future.
Now, Leitonga aspires to expand further into poultry farming, as well as purchase a new boat and engine to grow her fishing business. Her journey is not just about personal growth—she also shares her knowledge with her community through the Namarouwia Women’s Association, encouraging other women to embrace financial literacy as a pathway to empowerment.
Leitonga’s story shows how one training, combined with determination and discipline, can transform a livelihood. From running a small kava bar to building a fishing business and setting her sights on poultry farming, she is creating a brighter future for her family and community.
USP is one of four key implementing partners of the PEUMP Programme, a EUR 45 million programme that promotes sustainable management and sound ocean governance for food security and economic growth while addressing climate change resilience and conservation of marine biodiversity.
It follows a comprehensive approach, integrating issues related to ocean fisheries, coastal fisheries, community development, marine conservation, and capacity building under one single regional action. The PEUMP programme is housed within the Centre for Sustainable Futures.
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Media Contact
Lore Croker, USP PEUMP Communications, lore.croker@usp.ac.fj
