People should have an alternative source of income even when tourism comes back – Kiran

FRIEND is training about 60 people today who have either lost their jobs or are on reduced hours on how to preserve food so that they can generate income from it and also have food security.

While speaking at the opening of the training in Lautoka, FRIEND founder and CEO, Sashi Kiran says they started the COVID-19 Livelihood Support Project with support from the USAID last year when a lot of people working in the tourism sector were impacted.

Kiran says they saw food scarcity during the pandemic because many families were dependent on income.

She says FRIEND and other organisations have been trying to provide food for the impacted families.

FRIEND'S CEO says there are going to be natural disasters and the NGO’s or the Government may not be able to reach the affected families. She says preserved food can be used so that children are not starving.

Kiran says many people in the Yasawas and the Mamanucas have been impacted by the lack of tourism and as the industry makes a comeback, people should still have an alternative source of income.

She says this means they will be doing more training with regards to preserving seafood and making sea salt.

Kiran adds they are hoping that over the course of next two years, more than 2,000 people will be assisted through the $840,000 grant from USAID.