Three women-led small businesses in rural Fiji are thriving and investing profits back into the local community two years after taking part in a sustainable farming project coordinated by Australia Awards WLI alumnae through the Leadership Fund.
When COVID-19 created mass unemployment in Fiji’s tourism industry, WLI alumnae Aloesi Dakuidreketi-Hickes, Lani Ragusuloto and Nanise Kuridrani’s project responded by introducing integrated systems and training women to discover a new livelihood through poultry and fish farming.
Thanks to the team’s collaboration with local leaders and authorities, including Fiji’s Ministry of Fisheries and Ministry of Agriculture, the Nalele Integrated Fish Farm and Lawai and Namatakula Poultry Farms in the Nadroga-Navosa Province of western Fiji are now operating independently.
“The projects have been supporting women in these communities in terms of easy access to safe protein sources for their nutrition and wellbeing, generating income for the women's group and supporting community engagement and participation,” says Nanise.
The Leadership Fund provides small grants for WLI alumni to work together to make a direct positive contribution to development outcomes in their home countries.
