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Enhancing Grassroot Livelihoods & Resilience

overview:

GTM has been actively working with forest-dependent highland and maritime communities for over a decade, focusing on raising awareness, building capacity, and empowering these communities to address climate change adaptation, mitigation (particularly through REDD+), relocation, and loss and damage. Since 2018–2019, through the support of the Ministry of Forests and in collaboration with our international partners, TEBTEBBA (Philippines) and ANSAB (Nepal), we have made significant strides under the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (WB FCPF). This work has reached a broad geographic spectrum, spanning Viti Levu, Vanua Levu, and the maritime regions of Fiji. The journey now continues with the inception of Navavai Village as the pilot site for the project titled "Enhancing Grassroots Livelihoods Resilience by Improving Existing Methodologies of Women’s Economic Viability for Local Sustainable Resource Use & Consistent High-Quality Value-Adding Production."

project sites:

Activities for this project are implemented in the following localities:

  1. Primary Site - Navavai & Nayawe Communities - Our Highland Communities

  2. Secondary Site - Moce Island Communities and Oneata Island Communities - our Maritime Communities

activities will address:

  1. The strengthening of women's climate change resilience by enhancing their existing skills and expertise in value-adding processes to produce high-quality masi/tapa products.

  2. Promote sustainability and consistency in their earning potential by integrating Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and Sustainable Land Management (SLM) concepts into their resource management practices for trees (raw materials), as part of a long-term reforestation program within their communities, particularly in our secondary communities in the maritime islands of Moce and Oneata in the eastern province of Lau.

Supporting inclusive and resilient economic development in Fiji through the financing of activities that support the private sector and align with the sustainable financing objectives

Immense gratitude and valuable learnings emerged from our engagement with the women beneficiaries in Navavai Village, Nayawe Koromadrai, and Drekeniwai settlements within the Uluniwainibuka Catchment Region, Tokaimalo, Ra Province.

Key activities included

  1. creekbank restoration and protection, 

  2. applying SFM-SLM principles,

  3. implementing Ridge to Reef (Mai Colo ki Cakau) reforestation and landscape restoration,

  4. understanding the significance of carbon sequestration, and

  5. promoting the need to preserve standing trees in our catchment areas.


Participants also learned

  1. composting techniques,

  2. potting mix preparation,

  3. orchard establishment,

  4. basic water needs assessments,

  5. solid waste management,

  6. environmental stewardship.


Additionally, women explored alternative livelihoods through tie-dye crafts, while youth were empowered with lessons on hard work and personal goal setting for success.

Our dedicated team led by our Executive Director is deeply grateful and inspired by their time spent with these vibrant communities, reinforcing the collective commitment to resilience and sustainability.

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