Two small but concrete interventions are advancing food security and local livelihoods in rural Fiji, government posts show — one by a woman entrepreneur in Kadavu and the other by a community aquaculture project in Bua. New developments this year have moved both initiatives from planning into operation: a grant-funded solar freezer is now serving a remote village shop, and Ministry of Fisheries officers have completed a key infrastructure step that clears the way for fish stocking in a community pond.
In Solodamu, Tavuki, on the island of Kadavu, shopkeeper Livia Tuvoli used a $4,000 Women’s Economic Empowerment Grant from the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection in 2025 to buy a solar-powered freezer for her small grocery. The freezer, officials say, has transformed Tuvoli’s business and daily life in the village by making frozen food items reliably available without the need for residents to travel to larger towns. Items now stocked include frozen chicken, ice cream and ice packs — products that were previously difficult for families in Solodamu to access.
Tuvoli’s shop had long been a modest family enterprise, supplemented by sales of fresh produce at the Vunisea Market. The grant and the solar unit removed a logistical barrier for perishables in an off-grid setting, allowing her to expand inventory and stabilise income for her household. Tuvoli credited the grant, as well as support from family and the wider community, for helping her scale up operations and turning the shop into a more convenient local hub for everyday supplies.
Further north in Kubulau, Bua, officers from the Ministry of Fisheries’ Aquaculture team in the Northern Division recently connected the inlet pipe for the Nadivakarua Women’s Group fish pond — a milestone the ministry described as pivotal to bringing the community aquaculture project online. During the visit, fisheries staff also provided practical guidance on preparing and supplying quality fish feed, an essential element for ensuring good growth rates and a productive harvest once fingerlings arrive.
With the water inlet now in place and feed preparation training delivered, the Nadivakarua pond is poised to begin the stocking phase. Fisheries officers and village organisers say fish fry will be introduced soon, moving the project from construction and capacity building into active production. Once operational, the pond is expected to supply fresh fish for local consumption and create livelihood opportunities through sales or small-scale marketing.
Both interventions were highlighted on the Fiji Government’s Facebook page this week and illustrate a two-track approach by different ministries: targeted small grants to women-led businesses and technical support for community-managed aquaculture. The projects underscore an ongoing focus by government agencies on women’s economic empowerment and on strengthening rural food systems through locally appropriate technologies — solar refrigeration for remote retail and small-scale fish farming for coastal communities.
Taken together, the developments in Solodamu and Nadivakarua signal the shift from planning to practical impact: a shop that can keep frozen foods without grid power and a community pond that has the infrastructure and know-how to begin producing fish. For residents of these villages, the changes promise easier access to protein and perishables, reduced travel burdens, and new small-scale income pathways driven by women’s leadership.
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