Page 29 - IBs November 2022

Opinion Opinion

ies, toolkits, examples of how and what to do, and the way We listened at their mats. We recognised the innate value
it (should) could be measured. From our rural perch, this is in their identity and knowledge and in doing that, reinforced
how the development sector ticks and we acknowledge that it those values back to them so that they started this partner-
does contribute to our learnings and ensures accountability. ship from a strengthened position of self-value and confi-
We are however conscious of how the prescriptive status dence. We knew we needed to develop a structure that would
quo impacts our listening and learning from existing tables. enable and sustain a women-led supply and value chain.
There is an assumption that our tables are the same. They We then developed mechanisms that would work for all par-
are not. This disqualifies the assumption that we just need to ties. Buying at village gates, for example, would not only be
“localise” approaches. the most economic approach for them, but it would also mean
The prerequisite paperwork and the recommended tools are more time at home. Such structural interventions embedded
good development practice, and some lessons from these do in communities meant our COVID-19 pandemic and post-hu-
complement our learning. However, if we are not careful, all manitarian efforts already had pathways to use.
these development tools and frameworks, strategies and case Artisans are paid cash at village gates. The more they pro-
studies will drown the lived experiences of those at existing duce, the more they get paid. Village and district coordinators
tables. We need not only be aware of these existing tables; are the first quality control checks before it is taken to a cen-
we must be thoughtful and intentional about where we sit as tralised point (the RBTR office in Nadi), where final touches
development professionals. are made and post-village production takes place to meet
In any movement, in any village, in any community, there is packaging requirements, while ensuring order fulfillment.
always an existing table. It is likely that there were more than The women work collectively in a common house, usually
one, long before you or I came along. These existing tables the village meeting house. Lunch or afternoon tea are usually
were our starting point, core to natural community building. dropped off by their husbands. They have developed a culture
We should be about connecting, understanding, bridging and of production, their version of what indigenous Fijians refer
building upon the existing tables. Regardless of what you bring to as solesolevaki. Working from existing tables provides
to the table, approach it with the respect it deserves. It has space for innate knowledge that, when effectively worked
proven itself key to sustainable practices in our partnerships. into a commercial setting, ensures ownership that entrenches
Our program was developed under the radar. Friends and sustainability.
family donated US$5,000 that helped us start a trial project.
We were apparently viewed as just another small and random Seeding conversations
thing happening in some isolated area. We spent the majority We do not presume the right to tell communities what to do
of our time and energy on the mat in our partner communi- or how they should think. That would be neo-colonialism in
ties. Over the last five years, we are still on the mat, but action. What works in a workshop, may not work in a commu-
there are now 28 mats (communities we work with) and this nity. We cannot weaponise white western feminist frameworks
year, artisans will surpass close to FJ$1,000,000 since our in indigenous communities, and expect (progressive) change.
program’s inception. We see ourselves as vessels. The journey begins at the exist-
We have been invited at some development and aid sector ing tables, then we travel with our partners towards an en-
tables and being included in these conversations has been visioned, different, better reality. The soil must be prepared
affirming, with some real takeaways. But after almost two well for something new to seed. That’s how we think about
years of going into Fiji’s capital, Suva, for these discussions, our work in economic development – it’s a tool for organising,
an anxiety has set in. The proverbial record player is skipping for building trust, for shifting norms and attitudes, for creat-
- a new framework, roundtable, consultant. The phrase “but ing space where harder conversations can take place and stay.
there is already an existing table” is not sinking in, is not be- When New York speaks of a new charter and reminds us of
ing seriously considered. gaps that remain, we are hopeful that these messages are
Rise Beyond the Reef (RBTR) is one of the largest home- considered with existing tables in mind. What they can offer
based industries in the artisan sector in the Pacific. Remote has never been fully realised because they require long-term
work can and does work, but it must be formalised, visible commitments that’s about sustained and real change, not
and protected. For the artisans, 70% of doing business is ticking boxes before the reporting cycle.
spent on transportation alone. It’s critical therefore to buy Existing tables don’t just matter, they are key to sustained
from village gates. The creativity of these women is rooted in and progressive development, culture and community.
tradition. Harnessing that creativity through RBTR maintains
connections from their past and present, into the future. azibiah@gmail.com

Islands Business, November 2022 29