A three-day National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives on Environmental Sustainability took place at the Albert Park conference room in Suva this week. The event brought together participants who shared their success stories and worked to develop a network of community practitioners aimed at fostering collaboration and support. The symposium aimed to amplify community voices to influence decision-making both locally and internationally, featuring discussions on critical topics such as food security, clean energy, and sustainable urban solutions, which addressed the various challenges faced by participants’ communities.
One of the participants, Inoke Koroduadua, a school teacher at Mali District School for the past decade, spoke about a UNDP small grants project implementing solar water pipes in the village of Mali. He highlighted the significant issue of clean water availability, noting that the school’s primary water supply comes from rainwater. “We have installed water tanks to collect rainwater for the rainy season, but during the dry months, there is hardly any water available for the school,” Mr. Koroduadua explained. The villagers also lack electricity; hence, they rely on solar power. Together with the WWF Labasa and the provincial office, they managed to launch a project that included a solar water pump, which has provided vital assistance during dry periods.
Another participant, Irene Lata from the NGO Building Innate Resilience Through Hearts (BIRTH) Fiji, shared her experience from visiting Vaivai Village in Lautoka. Her group aimed to raise awareness about mental health and domestic violence. During their visit, they discovered that the village had no access to clean water, which the residents receive only once a month from the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) deliveries. If conditions are unfavorable, such as rainy weather or poor road conditions, those deliveries do not happen, forcing villagers to rely on river water for bathing and other needs. Ms. Lata emphasized the urgency of addressing the community’s challenges, noting the villagers’ frustration with past empty promises of support. She mentioned that gaining their trust was an uphill battle but expressed determination to help the community secure better access to clean water. With a proposal in place for a borehole project, she highlighted the additional need for funding to improve water tank accessibility for several households.
Teri Kano, a representative from Rabi Island, shared the successful utilization of funds by the Banaban community with other symposium participants. They received a $40,000 grant from the UNDP aimed at alleviating economic difficulties, leading to programs focused on Banaban Virgin Coconut Oils, reforestation efforts, and community clean-up campaigns. Mr. Kano explained that they plan to use part of the funds for solar energy solutions and to acquire machinery from Malaysia to enhance production efficiency on the island, thus improving the community’s standard of living. He underscored the importance of empowering both men and women in the community to participate equally in organic agriculture initiatives, aiming to boost income generation and improve the quality of their products.