Page 31 - SPBD Dec 2021

SPBD Fiji 2020 SPBD Fiji 2020

in the members’ business as an employee. the SPBD awards was conducted this year. Of
Children assist their mothers with loading course, we missed meeting you and seeing
products and services for sale on Facebook. your beautiful homes. We will definitely have
What an experience to have the whole family face-to-face meetings next year.
involved in the business.
We salute and congratulate our SPBD members.
It is even more rewarding when some of our This alliance has been established through trust
members now qualify for Fiji Development Bank and we hope that our association remains intact
loans. This progression and achievement is proof for many, many more years. Our SPBD structure
that women like our SPBD members are putting is based on strong governance principles with
to practice what they learnt about financial Greg Casagrande (in New Jersey), the founder
literacy. and Chairperson of the Board, our financial

Employment and income is generated from the statements are audited annually and members’
SPBD programme; assistants to sell produce accounts are maintained in a proper manner.
in the market, workers for the plantation and Our SPBD members can be assured that their
during harvest, drivers for their vans and so on. interests are paramount to the organisation.

Our dear members faced many challenges To our SPBD members, it has been a difficult
during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Fijian period for you. We acknowledge what you had

“Our membership and network
has extended to include daughters,

sisters, sisters in law and friends.”

economy was closed and revenue streams were to go through and we were all in this together.
adversely affected. Some members continued As the economy and opportunities open up,
to pay off their loans despite the holiday period there is light at the end of the tunnel. Your
given by SPBD. Some members changed their resilience showed through and with women’s
lines of business to make ends meet - an empowerment and creativity. Better days will
excellent risk management tool. come.

Even SPBD had to change the way we do You are the foundation of your families’
business - by using technology through an App livelihoods and together with our strategic
- to disburse loans. Our members are versed partners at SPBD, we the judges wish the SPBD
with Zoom now - and that’s how the judging for Family our best wishes always. Thank you SPBD
members. We are all winners!

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