Page 24 - IB September 2024

6. The Navetau women have addressed a critical need by
operating a community stop shop for fuel, hereby reducing the
burden on community members who previously had to travel long
distances as far as Labasa town to fetch fuel.
The Women’s Group applied for a grant to establish a fuel
station in Navetau, aiming to meet the needs of nearby villages
equipped with generators, trucks, brush cutters, and fiberglass
boats. Recognizing the need for additional facilities, the women
decided to build a public convenience beside the fuel station. This
would provide a much-needed stop for travellers passing through
the area.
The women plan to renovate the existing bus shelter and use
it as a space to sell their products, alongside their canteen. This
initiative has the potential to significantly improve the lives of
residents in Navetau and surrounding villages.

7. Eliki Tabakanavanua, known as Aiysha, is a transgender
woman and founder of Peculiar Beauty & Hair Salon in Nabouwalu.
Despite possessing exceptional hairstyling skills, Aiysha faced
financial constraints that hindered her ability to establish and
grow her business. Opportunely, the grant assisted Aiysha in the
acquisition of the necessary equipment and supplies to expand
her salon. Aiysha’s salon offers a range of hairdressing services,
catering to the diverse needs and preferences of her clients. Her
expertise and dedication have quickly made her a popular choice
among the local community.

8. Ra Naar Parishad, a group of 22 women in Rakiraki has
just recently been revived and they are renting a small office in
Rakiraki town. Their vision is to empower and educate women
to enable them to provide food for themselves and their family
members. Some of their raw materials were bought from their
own members. So far, they have managed to pack and sell 163
bottles of home-made chutneys, and this is just within a month.
The intention is to share the profits within the members to assist
them with their financial needs.

9. Tawake Women’s Group hopes to economically empower
its rural women. This is because, the women in Tawake are heavily
reliant on mat weaving as their main source of income. The grant
has been divided into 4 categories and they are; (1) to purchase
tools, (2) to expand their voivoi (pandanus) plantation, (3) to buy
kitchen utensils and other necessities for the evacuation centre
and (4) to buy sewing machines.
The Tawake Women’s Club have planted 100 pandanus
seedlings so far. Normally, it would take a year to harvest. However,
they have slightly modified how the planting and harvesting
were carried out so that it could generate more income for the
members of the group. As for the sewing machines and other
handicrafts, there are members on standby who are willing to
share their knowledge and conduct trainings to other members.
In turn, these members will become more skilful and will be able
to make money for themselves and their families.
The projects have had indeed had a rippling effect on the wider
community, within just a month of implementation. The benefits
have overflowed to their families, as well as to their communities.

Needless to say, the UN Women WRD Women
Economic Empowerment program has been
unequivocally successful in empowering women
and fostering positive change in Fiji. The grantees
have demonstrated resilience, determination, and a
commitment to making a difference.

24 Islands Business, September 2024 Sponsored Content