Fiji Sun

BAINIMARAM­A OPENS RESOURCE

CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN KOROLEVU

- WAISEA NASOKIA Edited by Percy Kean

For the women of Biausevu, their new Resource Centre will be an anchor of their community –– a centre of opportunit­y, entreprene­urship, and independen­ce.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainamaram­a highlighte­d this during the opening of the $150,000 project at Biausevu Village in Korolevu, yesterday.

Mr Bainimaram­a is optimistic that its wider economic benefits will prove every dollar is well spent. “By channellin­g today’s excitement into those walls, that building will transform into a hive of economic activity and constructi­ve dialogue,” he said.

“It will be a safe place for women in the community to congregate, sell their wares, and unlock their economic potential.

“And it will be a well-deserved home for the hardworkin­g women and girls in Biausevu for years to come.

“Now, with this permanent home, women will be able to have the confidence and peace-of-mind of a longterm facility that is wholly dedicated to them –– a place to finally call their own.”

Mr Bainimaram­a said women and girls do not belong on the sidelines; they deserve to be front and centre when it comes to how resources are allocated, how communitie­s are run, and how decisions are made. “My daughters and grand-daughters, along with every other girl and woman in this country, deserve to know that their dreams are taken seriously and that they stand on equal footing with each of their fellow Fijians,” he said.

“That’s the Fiji I’m working build every day.”

He called on the men and boys of the Korolevu community to join him in creating a Fiji where women and girls are safe, respected, and empowered to access greater opportunit­ies.

Biausevu Women’s Associatio­n president, Serenia Serea, 50 thanked Mr Bainimaram­a on behalf of the 36 members.

“Gone are the days when women are relegated to the community hall to meet or sell their handicraft­s and souvenirs to the many tourists who frequent the place to see the pristine beauty of the Biausevu Waterfall,” she said.

Rural Quarters Commission­ed in Nadroga-Navosa

The Prime Minister also commissioe­d teachers quarters at Ratu Ilaisa Memorial School in Semo, Nadroga yesterday.

“We all know that a great teacher can have a lifelong impact, and they hold the future of so many young Fijians in their hands every day,” he said.

Mr Bainimaram­a said the event was also to celebrate a promise delivered for the school, its students and, especially, for the eight teachers who work at this school. “Whether you’re a student in the heart of Suva, the outer islands of Lomaiviti or here in NadrogaNav­osa, you deserve equal access to high-quality education and highqualit­y instructio­n.”

 ?? Photo: Waisea Nasokia ?? Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram­a hands over the Cerificate to the Biausevu Women Associatio­n president at the Women’s Resource Centre opening in Korolevu, Nadroga on february 6, 2020.
Photo: Waisea Nasokia Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimaram­a hands over the Cerificate to the Biausevu Women Associatio­n president at the Women’s Resource Centre opening in Korolevu, Nadroga on february 6, 2020.

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