Stoves and Poultry Empowerment, Kadrala Cult, Use the Land, Fish for EU, Hardware Prices Plummet

N212. GRASSROOTS EMPOWERMENT. Learning about smokeless stoves and how to make money from poultry may not seem to be very empowering unless you are poor and live in a remote area with few amenities and still fewer opportunities to earn money. The smokeless stoves demonstrated at Nabouwalu in Bua last week by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation, will help save time, money and effort and be far more environmentally friendly. In rural Fiji the main cooking fuel for nearly 70% of households in 1996 was the open fire and little is likely to have changed since. The large range wood stove was used by about 8% of households, more generally by Indo-Fijians and in locations close to urban areas.Electricity and gas if available, and even kerosene,  are far too expensive for most households. The smokeless stove is far more efficient and it uses less wood.  If widely adopted, it could save wooded areas and mangrove.(Based on No:0583/MSWPA).

Mary Naloga from Nakabuta Village said she had never seen anything like a smokeless stove that could two pots with so little firewood. She said she was “very excited about learning this technique of cooking and the step by step process to make a smokeless stove. Since we have the resources, we can easily make one for our families."

She thanked  Government for the opportunities to learn new skills ...like poultry training and through Ministry of Health we were educated about our health and different health programmes. It has been an eye opener for us.”

Agriculture training officer Makalei Drauna said the main aim of the poultry programme was to help women generate income for their families. "There's a a huge demand for poultry in the Northern Division with prices ranging from $35 to $45 for chickens in Labasa market, " he said.

N213. CULTS ALIVE IN RA. Ra provincial administrator Joji Satakala has confirmed a Government team has been set up specifically to eradicate cult groups and sects in parts of rural Ra.  He said governnment is especially concerned because cult members do not allow their children to go to school and because of the accepted practice for men to sleep with any female member of the  group.
The most widely known groups are Remnant in Soa, a Kadrala church group in Naboutolu and the followers of the late Sairusi Nabogibogi at Selemi in Nakorotubu.

He said "If we can break the Kadrala cult practices at Vatukacevaceva, which has been around for more than 40 years, then there will be no problem abolishing other cults in the province. We want all students to attend school because only education can bring about development in Ra.

N214. USE THE LAND. A dalo (taro) farming scheme at Nasolo in Bua has created employment for many village youths and when harvested is expected to earn $286,000 in a year. During his visit last week the PM said this was a good example of what Government means when it urges people to work hard and use the resources available to them.

The villagers told the PM they needed a new bridge to help speed the transportation of their produce to the market, and would welcome goverment's assistance in securing overseas markets. The PM has  offered, in principle, his support for the project, and said people needed to work hard before thinking of going to Government to ask for help.

N215. FIJI FISH FOR EU. Fiji’s fisheries products will now be accepted in the EU market tariff-free after the European Parliament approved a trade agreement with Fiji. Fiji was delisted from exporting fish to the European Union market following the outcome of an audit back in 2007.

N216. HARDWARE PRICES PLUMMET. Commerce Commission enquiries have resulted in an average drop of hardware prices by 35%. This follows detailed and analyzed investigations into the prices in hardware shops for the past year. Commission chairman Dr Mahendra Reddy said the final prices were determined following consultations with stakeholders and hardware companies.

The new prices will only affect items under price control but this covers items ranging from 645 at Carpenters to 2,220 at RC Manubhai.The impact on low-cost and self-help housing construction can only be positive. -- Based on 0579/MOI.

A Cautionary Look at Micro-Finance

Public Probity, Private Penury: 

Micro-Finance in Papua New Guinea

by

Ben Havenga and Scott MacWilliam

Squatters Initiate Eviction of Criminals, Australian and NZ Aid Continues

No139. MORE SQUATTERS EVICTED. The anti-government blogs have been keen to publish stories of urban squatter evictions.  No background or explanation is given other than the evictions are further evidence of  government inhumanity.

The blogs  have not reported government explanations about development, the provision of alternative sites and serious efforts to provide new housing for poor people, and they have disbelieved that particular squatters were evicted to prevent crime. 

Recently some squatters in Wailea settlement off Fletcher Road in Vatuwaqa were evicted who were suspected of trading marijuana. And now, seven household in the  Fiji Muslim League Estate off Ratu Mara Road in Nabua have received eviction and demolition notices, but the initiative has come from the squatters themselves. One resident, Alumita Rabele, said the whole settlement had initially been told to go but now only seven people are involved. She said this was initiated by the community because they felt the settlement would be safer without the people suspected to be involved in illegal activities.

"The people from the Lands Department gave the notice to these people selling marijuana from their homes after we resolved the first issue which was for us to move out," she said.

N0140. AUSTRALIAN AND NZ AID CONTINUES.  Aid to Fiji from both countries continues despite the political standoff.  The amounts involved are smaller than formerly, they are targeted towards specific activities, and they generally bypass government preferring NGOs as intermediaries.

Recently, AusAID donated $100,000 worth of obstetric training models to the Ministry so that pregnant mothers can be assured of quality services while in hospital. And the New Zealand High Commission has donated $15,000 to Leadership Fiji for its 2011 training programme that will focus on developing and enhancing the skills of future Fiji leaders.

Leadership Fiji Chair William Parkinson says they aim to expose participants to leaders from across the society in a structured manner, providing them with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of their country.The programme that starts next month allows members to explore their own values, philosophies, prejudices and beliefs through a variety of issues.