1.WOMEN REMINDED OF THEIR ROLES IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT – Women from the around the globe who gathered for the 25th Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA) International Conference this week, were reminded of the important role they play in protecting the environment.
2. 2013 ANNUAL DONOR AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FORUM – The Ministry of Finance would be hosting the Annual Donor and Development Partners Forum this week on August 27 at the Holiday Inn in Suva to lock-in donor and development partners’ commitment and support in channelling Official Development Assistance to the key priority programmes for the 2014 financial year.
3. WOMEN IN HART HOMES ACQUIRE INCOME GENERATING SKILLS – The Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation has partnered with business outlets like Courts Fiji Limited, South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) and Home Finance Company to open up microfinance and small business opportunities for women to equip them with income generating skills.
4. FIJI TO HOST OCEANIA VET CONFERENCE – Fiji would be hosting the 15th Australasia/Oceania Commonwealth Veterinary Association Conference next week in Nadi from September 2-6.
5. NDP ASSISTS MORE THAN THOUSAND SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES – Since its inception five years ago in Vanua Levu, the Northern Development Programme has assisted close to two thousand small and medium Fijian business entrepreneurs.
1.WOMEN REMINDED OF THEIR ROLES IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
Women from the around the globe who gathered for 25th Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA) International Conference today, were reminded of the important role they play in protecting the environment.
Minister for Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Dr Jiko Luveni while opening the week-long workshop at Novotel in Lami, said women need to map out strategies that are science-based, cost effective and lawful which can be implemented by PPSEAW in the next triennium.
“Our air, our water and our lands, requires us to seek broad coalition of partners because the issues confronting us are complex and complicated,” Dr Luveni said.
“It may require the use of the latest technology, the latest science based methodologies or it can be done with just simple common-sense practical and cost effective solutions that come easy to us women.”
Dr Luveni added that this was the first time for Fiji to host such a conference and such initiatives are beneficial for future generations.
“This conference will establish to share best practices, find common ground for project focus and create cluster within PPSEAWA for those shared goals,” Dr Luveni said.
PPSEAWA International president Ms Theresa Hintze said the meeting is a great opportunity for women to exchange ideas and create policies that would assist in safeguarding the environment.
The four day conference with the theme ““Managing our Environment for Sustainable and peaceful World” would feature topics such as replanting of endangered forest trees, roles of families in conservation efforts and other related topics that will be presented by countries like Thailand, United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.
The workshop will end on August 31,2013.
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2.2013 ANNUAL DONOR AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FORUM
The Ministry of Finance would be hosting the Annual Donor and Development Partners Forum this week on August 27 at the Holiday Inn in Suva to lock-in donor and development partners’ commitment and support in channelling Official Development Assistance to the key priority programmes for the 2014 financial year.
The theme of the meeting is “Strengthening Partnership for Development Effectiveness” and will be attended by representatives of donor agencies, development partners, regional organisations and key Government ministries.
The meeting will be officially opened by the Ministry’s acting permanent secretary Ms. Akosita Drova.
The forum is indicative of Government’s commitment in harnessing stakeholder support on issues of national importance hence will feature the delivering of presentations to update the participants on Fiji’s Economic Performance and Outlook (presented by the Reserve Bank of Fiji), the Development Aspirations of Government and MDG Achievements (presented by the Ministry of Strategic Planning and National Development) and the 2014 Budget Strategy and Prioritized Sectors of Government (presented by the Ministry of Finance).
The forum will also provide an avenue for Government and relevant stakeholders to collectively discourse on ways of strengthening its partnership in order to meet Fiji’s development objectives and to ensure broad involvement of its stakeholders in the key policy decision making process so as to build confidence in the economy.
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3.WOMEN IN HART HOMES ACQUIRE INCOME GENERATING SKILLS
The Ministry of Women, Social Welfare and Poverty Alleviation has partnered with business outlets like Courts Fiji Limited, South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) and Home Finance Company to open up microfinance and small business opportunities for women to equip them with income generating skills.
As part of this, the Ministry last week teamed up with Courts Fiji Limited and facilitated a two day training in creative tailoring and designing for the women from Wainibuku, Nakasi and Narere Hart Homes in Suva.
The training started on Tuesday and was held at Wainibuku Hart Hall in Nausori.
Minister for Women Dr Jiko Luveni said the long term vision of the Ministry was to ensure that these women are able to venture into small businesses.
“These women would also be provided with trainings in financial literacy,” Dr Luveni said.
Wainibuku Hart Home women’s club president Mrs Meredani Matiavi, said this was the first time for them to be provided with such a training opportunity.
Courts Fiji Limited director marketing Mr Anil Senewiratne reiterated that similar trainings would be replicated to women’s groups around Fiji.
“The partnership began in April last year, when Courts and Ministry of Women came together with a common vision of economically empowering women to alleviate poverty. Since then we have engaged local and overseas trainers to train members of these women’s groups in basic sewing, up skilling them to acquire creative tailoring skills and also sewing machine maintenance skills. So far we have conducted a total of 33 workshops, thereby reaching out to 942 women in Fiji,” Mr Senewiratne explained.
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4.FIJI TO HOST OCEANIA VET CONFERENCE
Fiji would be hosting the 15th Australasia/Oceania Commonwealth Veterinary Association Conference (CVA) next week at the Tanoa International Hotel in Nadi from September 2-6.
The conference will focus on the theme ‘Sustainable Animal Health and Production in Australia/Oceania-the role of veterinary education, disease control, food safety and security and animal welfare’.
CVA chairperson for the organising committee Dr Robin Yarrow said the conference would be attended by participants from countries in the Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Timor Leste.
“This regional conference is under the ambit of the CVA and has been strongly supported by the Government,” Dr Yarrow said.
Dr Yarrow added that farmers would also be part of the meeting to share their experience with members of the conference.
“We also have a few farmers who will be part of the conference and they will share their knowledge on farming activities and their role in livestock production,” Dr Yarrow said.
The conference will cover 12 sessions of interest from Health Production, Animal Productions, Livestock, Climate change and Bio Security to name a few.
Prominent speakers would be part of the conference such as the CVA President, Dr Abdul Rahman and Global Animal Partnership Board of Directors member and Chief Executive Officer of the World Society for the Protection of Animals Mr Mike Baker.
Organisers for this year’s conference include the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
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5.NDP ASSISTS MORE THAN THOUSAND SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS ENTERPRISES
Since its inception five years ago in Vanua Levu, the Northern Development Programme has assisted close to two thousand small and medium Fijian business entrepreneurs.
NDP manager Mr Waisale Tuidama said to date the programme has paid out more than $4million from NDP grants while lending institutions contributed more than $5million dollars to these businesses.
“Therefore more than $9million has helped run small and medium enterprises in the Northern Division,” Mr Tuidama said.
He added that investing in small and medium businesses has helped create employment for close to 5571 people in the Northern Division.
“NDP is therefore contributing 8.7 per cent to in the potential labour market in Vanua Levu,” he added.
“The rippling effect of this assistance to small and medium enterprises in the North benefitted around 20 per cent of the population here.”
“This is a significant contribution towards poverty alleviation and improving the quality of life of rural Vanua Levu,” Mr Tuidama said.
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