Financial Literacy Training is Hope for Kadavu Woman
Since Tropical Cyclone Harold wreaked havoc in her village as well as damaging her canteen, Venina Tiko Turaganisolevu has been struggling to stay afloat.
The 24-year-old operates a small canteen business at her village in Lawaki, Nakasaleka, Kadavu and sells food at the jetty.
But an opportunity to attend a workshop on financial literacy and savings will now give her more hope for her business and also a chance to share her learnings in the community.
Thanks to the Fiji Council of Social Services, the pilot training called Lololo was conducted to 12 participants at the council’s training room in Suva.
“Through the two days training I have learnt so much on budgeting and how to manage your savings,”she said.
“It is common for us iTaukei to mix relations with business which always affect the progress of any business.
“In the past few cyclones our canteen was damaged but we
were able to make repairs from the earnings we gained from the canteen business.”
She looks forward to empowering her community by providing them the correct information in ways they can access digital financial services through the office of Fiji Council of Social Services.
Director of Fiji Council of Social Services, Vani Catanasiga said that this is the first kind of
training for the Lololo Project.
Derived from the iTaukei tradition of preserving food, over a long period of time, the Lololo project aims to empower its participants to save money for future investments or in times of emergency.
Ms Catanasiga said research showed that the concept of Lololo was still practised in the communities to remain resilient during times of disaster.
“We have shown that we can operate a business but our only issue is how we use that money.”
Ms Catanasiga said they hope to create contact in the communities that are always excluded and do not have access to those kinds of finance and social services or financial institutions.
Some areas they are looking into are: Kadavu, Yasawa, Bua.