The Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport through the Integrated Human Resources Development Programme (IHRDP) under the MSME Fiji, conducted a monitoring exercise for forty women participants from the Yanuya Women’s Handicraft Centre (YWHC).

Originally established in 2014, the YWHC primarily served as a disaster management shelter, for the community and that of a safe trading environment for tourists and vendors. At present, the two buildings act as a marketplace for forty women vendors from Yanuya Village, Malolo Nadroga on Yanuya Island.

“I no longer have to face difficulties in reaching out for a souvenir that a tourist would like to view and purchase”, said Mrs. Reape Nausoriri, a sixty-eight-year-old vendor and oldest member of the YWHC.

An appreciable project – a recent survey revealed ninety-five percent of women in agreement of the projects’ objective to positively impact the members of the YWHC in having a conducive space to retail and do business.

“This space has brought financial stability in our homes and provides protection for our products while encouraging an entrepreneurial mindset added a member of the YWHC. “Such a conducive space has increased our number of tourists and sales”, the member further added.

In addition to the monitoring exercise, the Manager IHRDP West, Ms. Ruseli Mua conducted an awareness programme on adopting a co-operative business model.

“The women were highly receptive of the co-operative business model, as they form an integral part of the informal business sector”, said Ms. Mua.

“I have encouraged the participants to diversify into authentic products that carry the Fijian Made emblem to increase the value of their products and income”, added Ms. Mua.

As a way forward, the women of Yanuya village expressed their interest in having similar workshops provided for business management, weaving, screen printing and tailoring – to impart the business aspects of running a commercial undertaking in collaboration with other stakeholders.

-ENDS-