NGO to Pilot Hands Up Project for Informal Settlements
Social Empowerment and Education Programme is looking to pilot hands up business projects for informal settlements in the Suva-Nausori corridor.
Director Chantelle Khan said this was to ensure those living within informal settlements and also operating small businesses had the ability to also benefit financially over the next six months from the proposed projects.
“What we will try and do is build an economy of corporation where in a single informal settlement they have a joint business going,” she said.
“And it follows a corporative style where they keep the money in the local economy so they’re not looking outside for markets, their markets are themselves. “This is what we are talking to MITA (Ministry of i Taukei Affairs) about as well, to see if we can replicate it in the rural areas so instead of people buying from supermarkets they become their own markets and the money just trades and grows within their local economy.”
Ms Khan said the COVID-19 period needed prolonged assistance approaches from the Government with the assistance of civil society organisations (CSO).
“They can invite all CSO’s including churches and plan meetings on Covid-19 responses, coordinating approaches so that we know Government is doing its best, and also there are many CSO’s doing different pieces of work,” she said. Ms Khan added that certain ministries were already reaching out to CSO’s. “What some ministries are doing is they are trying to work with the CSO’s. Our first conversation to try and work with the MITA is an opening to try and find out how we can possibly collaborate,” he said.