In the village of Solodamu on Tavuki island, Kadavu, a small grocery run by local entrepreneur Livia Tivoli has quietly become an essential lifeline for residents after a 2025 government grant allowed her to expand what she sells and how she stores stock. Tivoli’s shop, which also supplies fresh produce at Vunisea Market, received a $4,000 Women’s Economic Empowerment Grant from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection this year. The funding was used to purchase a solar-powered freezer, enabling the retailer to offer frozen items — including chicken, ice cream and ice packs — that were previously difficult for villagers to obtain.
Before the grant, frozen goods were scarce in Solodamu, forcing residents to travel or go without items that help preserve food and cool supplies in the tropical heat. The solar freezer has removed that barrier in a community where consistent grid electricity can be limited, letting Tivoli keep frozen stock reliably and extend the variety of everyday staples available locally. The change has also helped stabilise household purchasing patterns by reducing time and cost for families who once had to travel off-island for similar goods.
Tivoli credits the growth of her enterprise to the combination of the grant, careful money management and the encouragement of her family and wider community. The shop’s expansion has, in turn, created a steadier income stream for her household while meeting an identifiable need in Solodamu. Villagers now rely on the outlet for both grocery staples and frozen items that support food storage and small-scale retail needs.
The development in Solodamu is the latest concrete example of government-supported assistance reaching women entrepreneurs in rural Fiji. It follows broader regional trends of women-led microenterprises gaining traction through small grants, cooperative markets and development programmes. Stories from other parts of Fiji — from women’s groups showcasing products at markets in Suva to individual vendors who have turned modest investments into sustainable businesses — show a pattern of livelihoods improving as women receive financial and technical support.
Local leaders say such grassroots enterprises play an outsized role in community resilience, particularly on outer islands where access to services is often limited. A solar-powered appliance in a village shop can mean fresher food, less waste, and a reliable place for people to purchase daily essentials, reducing the need for long trips and associated costs. For Tivoli, the new freezer has not only broadened what she can sell but strengthened her role as a community service provider.
As Fiji continues to promote women’s economic participation, Tivoli’s experience underscores how relatively small investments can yield tangible benefits for remote communities. Her shop in Solodamu now stands as a practical example of how targeted support — paired with local initiative and family backing — can help women entrepreneurs grow businesses that support both livelihoods and local needs.
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