Graduates urged to make a difference
THE COVID-19 impact has turned into blessings for 62 women of Cakaudrove in Vanua Levu who graduated from an 11-month training program focussed on building entrepreneurial skills of rural women and youths.
Supported and funded by the American government, the graduates attended online classes during the program period.
The American Embassy’s deputy Public Affairs officer Will Romine challenged the graduates to make a difference in their communities. room in 1977 at the Fiji School of Nursing institution in Suva.
She never dreamt she’d face a tutor again in life.
The Lavena, Taveuni, based entrepreneur is a well-known exporter of yoga mats, meeting demands of her clients in Australia, New Zealand and Israel.
“In the beginning it was a challenge because I am a businesswoman who is my own boss
“Fiji’s economy relies heavily on tourism and this was affected by the pandemic. It affected families who had the confidence in the industry to feed their children, educate their children and support their families,” he said.
“But when the pandemic hit, suddenly these families didn’t have the confidence so the US embassy saw a need for skills development and business development for people and take their destiny in their hands.
“This program was to empower people to create their own business and support their families and educate their children so we started the economic recovery grants for but having to sit in front of a tutor through virtual class was something I had to get used to,” she said.
“Having to write again and study was an experience I found to be a lot of fun especially when we don’t know how to use all these gadgets.
“The 11 months program was very enriching with a lot of new information especially on organisations.”
The successful program, Mr Romine, said had certainly economically empowered the participants who could now support their families and their communities.
“The embassy is happy to support families and I challenge these women to go out there and resolve problems that need to be solved by using their skills and knowledge from this training,” he said.
“It’s not the end and I encourage all of you to take the skills and use it, go out to communities and if grants are available we provide economic support for projects like this one.” finances and identifying the needs and wants. This is very important for us because most of us have been businesswomen for many years, but don’t know this basic information.”
The group’s president, Adi Salaseini Kavu, said the program was aimed at economically empowering members.
“This funding was granted before COVID-19 arrived but we received it during the pandemic so we have to re-strategise and ask the US government if we could use it after the impact passed because of COVID restrictions and they allowed us,” she said.
“In fact, it has come in a right time as it will bring out the entrepreneur abilities with these women to start their own businesses and support their families.”