Page 2 - SPBD Businesswoman of the year awards 2021

SPBD
A Message from Elrico Munoz

General Manager, Director SPBD Fiji

Over 22 years, South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) has remained
true to our mission in providing meaningful economic opportunity to
women microentrepreneurs so that they can lift their families out of poverty
with the best opportunities that are available and have hope for a brighter
tomorrow.
We are very grateful for the unique partnerships SPBD has with many
organisations such as Courts Fiji Limited and the Women Entrepreneurs
Business Council. This excellent collaboration paves the way for women to
improve the quality of life for themselves and their families.
We also acknowledge Mereseini Rakuita, former Minister for Women and
chief guest at this year’s SPBD Businesswoman of the Year Awards. Her role
in ensuring gender equality in the region lies at the heart of what the SPBD
business model is about.
We believe SPBD’s business model shows a great understanding of all the
challenges that women face in their daily lives. Our continuous financial
education through the daily use of financial diaries and the training of
peer-counsellors has been one of the most sustainable financial education
programmes in the country.
Founder and President, Greg Casagrande wishes to congratulate all our
SPBD members who have shown enormous fortitude in running their
businesses.

We have worked with over 100,000
women microentrepreneurs across the
region since inception and we have
This year as borders opened and There are three key provided them with over FJD$500
normalcy resumed, SPBD Fiji’s strategies for women’s million in loans. Our women members
panel of judges was able to travel economic empowerment are able to:
around the islands of Viti Levu and at the grassroots level: l start and grow their small businesses
Ovalau. We were indeed honoured l Adaptability, l fund basic housing improvement,
to see firsthand how our valued l Recognition of the and;
SPBD members fared and coped social structures that l fund children’s education
during the COVID-19 pandemic, how exist to limit women’s COVID is finally behind us and there
innovation and resilience including agency, and; is a bright future. Hold onto your
risk management practices became l Great understanding dreams and ambitions. If your dream
important to survive, and the support of the huge gaps is to earn significantly, or improve the
the SPBD family received from their that exist in financial healthiness of your home, or see your
own families and fellow members. literacy. children graduate with a professional
degree, hold onto that dream. They are
achievable. Stay on with SPBD and we
will be there to help you.
Vinaka vakalevu.
Lorraine Seeto, Mereseini Rakuita,
Director, SPBD Fiji Principal Strategic Lead-Pacific
Women, former Minister for
Women and
Chief Guest at the SPBD Greg Casagrande, Founder
Businesswoman of the Year and President, SPBD
Awards Microfinance Network

2 3