Page 53 - Islands Business May-June 2022

SPBD SPBD SPBD

Pacific and this is her final year. I’m proud of her. She wants to join
SPBD too, to support her in her education. My children know what
SPBD has done for me and my family.”

Narorovou Centre Chief, Vonosia Raibuluwai
The ten members of Narorovou Centre have a wide variety of
businesses on Fiji’s coral coast.
Some are into handicraft work, others sell produce and food in
Sigatoka town, and others run canteens in their villages, says Centre
Chief, Vonosia. During COVID, members adapted. Some cooked
meals to sell in town and others looked for kai (freshwater mussels)
to take to market.
“My business is in handicraft work, and I also sell my products at
Outrigger [hotel],” Vonosia says.
“During COVID, my husband helped me with planting kumala,
cassava and cucumber in order to sell it in the market and pay my
SPBD loan payments.
“SPBD has helped me and my family build a new house and help
with my children’s school fees. I have three children – my eldest
son is 19 years old; another son is 12 years old, and my daughter is 8
years old. My daughter attends Gospel School for the Deaf in Suva.”
While it has been hard during COVID “we don’t lose hope because
SPBD is helping our family in the village.
“I thank SPBD for helping our businesses for the last two years,”
Vonosia says. Vonosia Raibuluwai

Fiji Development Bank and SPBD continue partnership

The Fiji Development Bank (FDB) has provided a further loan
of $1.5 million to the South Pacific Business Development (SPBD)
Microfinance aimed at increasing SPBD’s capacities to reach out to
the women micro-entrepreneurs.
Speaking at an event to mark the collaboration between FDB
and SPBD Fiji, the Minister for Women, Children and Poverty
Alleviation, Rosy Akbar commended SPBD for strategically
developing leadership skills, forging ownership and commitments,
building teamwork and communication skills, manoeuvring future
capital security, innovative thinking and accountability together with
financing the micro-enterprise projects.
“It is indeed pleasing to see that corporate entities have placed
a key focus on empowering women as entrepreneurs in support
of the Government’s commitment to strengthening the economic
participation of all Fijians and in particular for women, as one of its
major priorities,” she said.
FDB Chief Executive Officer Saud Minam said FDB is honoured to
partner with SPBD in creating a positive business environment for Members of the Valelevu Sisters In Action Centre joined the event,
micro-enterprises. testifying to the impact of SPBD on the lives of its members.
“By financing SPBD Fiji, FDB is targeting the strategic sector of Centre Chief Lewaseini Takayawa said the loans extended by
the economy – ‘the micro-enterprises.’ This on-lending to SPBD SPBD had helped women become financially independent and
will support those customers that are in need of access to finance support their families and children’s education.
as well as those projects that have the highest multiplier effect, both Members from the Vesivesi, Naitaqiri and Matanakilagi Centres
economically and socially,” he said. were also present at the event.
“Thank you SPBD for the opportunity for a good strong FDB has been an SPBD strategic partner since 2014.
partnership in terms of providing the lifeline for economic activity. In 2014, FDB provided a $2 million loan to SPBD aimed at
“We are proud to be the only bank in Fiji to reach out to these increasing SPBD’s capacities to reach out to the women micro-
customers through avenues such as this collaborative endeavour.” entrepreneurs in rural areas.

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