A DRUA INNOVATION SMALL GRANTS SCHEME INSPIRES FIJIANS IN BUSINESS
DAUNAKAMAKAMA AMONG 12 RECIPIENTS OFFERED UN AND GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE.
Amilestone it has been for 44-year-old Juice Fiji owner, Panapasa Daunakamakama ,after being named one of 12 successful recipients of the Drua Innovation Small Grants Scheme awards.
The recipients were awarded the grant yesterday at the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) building at Kadavu House in Suva. Mr Daunakamakama has been operating his business since 2018. Although COVID-19 posed a big challenge for his business, he was grateful at the level of assistance given to the small business enterprises.
“This is the first time for me to receive something like this, especially from the UNDP and I’m grateful for the collaboration done with Government to have this initiative,” he said.
“It will generally help the business as an SME as it’s not easy running a business in Fiji.”
With the grant, Mr Daunakamakama would further fund his homemade flour and skin care businesses.
“I’m venturing out now into making homemade flour from kumala, the company’s name is Natural Flour Fiji and skin care like soap and lotion,” he said.
Grants
Minister for Trade, Co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises and Communication, Manoa Kamikamica said $280,000 in grant was given out to 12 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
“This support is spread out across multiple initiatives being administered by the Department of Cooperative Business, under our ministry,” he said.
“These 12 projects are expected to create 80 green jobs over the next 18 months of which 45 per cent would support employment for women, help reduce Fiji’s carbon emissions and become proof of concepts for replication across the Pacific.”