Caption : Village elders with Tui Nubu cut the cake in Nubu.
By SANDHYA NARAYAN
Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises & Development, a development NGO is celebrating its 4th year of existence in Labasa.
Over the years FRIEND Labasa has offered many services to the Northern Community that include skills training for farmers, youths and women.
To date FRIEND has 80 poultry project holders, 200 farmers have been assisted with set up of cash crop projects, 40 families have found a market with FRIEND for their dried food products and Two farmers have been assisted with set up of livestock feed production.
Northern Communities are benefitting from the processed food introduced in the market by FRIEND that include desiccated coconut and herbal teas launched recently, all of which are produced in Macuata after 10 communities have been trained in drying of fruits.
FRIEND works toward poverty alleviation using existing skills and resources and offers training and support for food security and import substitution.
FRIEND intends to set up a food processing facility to further ensure that those being trained have assurance of market.
FRIEND headquartered in Lautoka is a local NGO in existence for 11 years on August 29th.