THE women of the tikina Bure Noco, Rewa are excited and are very fortunate of the opportunity in learning how to create artefacts, handicrafts by weaving palm leaves and also earn a few extra dollars.
This newly introduced income generating program has been brought to Fiji by the Chinese Cultural Centre in conjunction with the Government of People Republic of China and Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.
Head of women’s group Roko Mereseini Vulaidausiga Basaga said they are so fortunate and glad because the training for palm weaving organised by the Chinese Cultural centre and supported by the Government of Peoples Republic of China is being held in Fiji and in their very home village of Nabudrau.
“We like and support this sort of programs a lot because we are local based community women’s group and we look at ways and means to improve our livelihood.”
Mrs Basaga said it was another form or means to an end for then and which they were honoured and grateful to the Chinese government for their kind assistance and likewise for the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation for making this opportunity available to us rural women.
“The women of Bure Noco are thankful and quiet excited about this interesting opportunity after been advise at first about this wonderful opportunity to learn and master the skills of palm weaving all the way from China.”
“We are from the Tebara area and our sources of livelihood for many of our women is gathered from the marine ecosystem and we relyon fish and marine species like land crabs and red and black mangrove crabs, or coconuts where we make brooms from coconut leaves,” she said.
“These are some of the main sources of income generating for our women in this area.”
