The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji is looking forward to facilitating the visit of the EU Ambassador to the Pacific, Sujiro Seam to the North this week, to witness the progress of the EU funded projects they have implemented in the area.
ADRA Fiji Country Director Mr Iliapi Tuwai said ADRA Fiji is honoured to have been given the opportunity to showcase their progress and the impacts these projects have brought about to the vulnerable communities.
According to a press statement, the Vakarau Wai-Fiji Pro Resilience Project in Macuata is the major focus for this visit from July 15-16.
According to Mr Tuwai, the Vakarau Wai – Fiji Pro Resilience Project was being implemented from 2018 because the poor are often the most vulnerable to drought because they have little or no savings or assets to fall back on when crisis strikes.
Through the endorsement of ADRA Germany, the project aims to improve resilience and adaptive capacities of vulnerable communities and subsistence farmers in drought prone areas to reduce food and nutrition insecurity.
Mr Tuwai said the approach of equipping the most disadvantaged in raising their standard of living is in the heart of this pilot project.
“We have conducted community trainings and continuously raising awareness to increase community knowledge on the best practices of drought adaptation, food security and high nutrient content for 150 local communities,” Mr Tuwai said.
“As part of the project, we also provided agricultural kits as well as relevant infrastructure to strengthen resilience of subsistent farmers, at the same time introducing new agricultural methods boosting women empowerment with their increased participation especially in backyard gardening.”
Following the midterm evaluation of the project, it has been revealed that it has strengthened environmentally sustainable adaptation mechanism amongst its aimed 10,000 subsistence farmers, including 5000 women in 150 communities in Ba and Macuata.
Activities involved in this programme included training; setting up of village nursery and demonstration of farming methods; distribution of farming kits and appropriate infrastructure such as solar water pump, irrigation set-up and water tanks.
The project is expected to end in November 2020.
Other EU funded project that will be visited by the Ambassador is the Yadrayadravi Accountability and Monitoring Programme implemented in Cakaudrove.
