Vanua Balavu communities boost livelihoods through Cooperative training

People on Vanua Balavu Island in Lau are taking steps to strengthen their livelihoods and protect their natural resources through cooperative enterprise, following a four-day training on Cooperative Management conducted by the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs, and Communications.

Partnering with Conservation International and Lau Seascape, the training was delivered under the Coastal Fisheries Improvement Plan programme earlier this month.

Programme trainer Beniame Bulilevuka says cooperatives offer maritime communities to manage their natural resources responsibly while building stronger local economies.

Bulilevuka says when communities unite around shared enterprise, they can achieve both financial independence and sustainable stewardship of their environment.

Permanent Secretary for Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs, and Communications, Shaheen Ali shared the same sentiments, saying that building capacity at the community level is critical for Fiji’s inclusive growth.

Following the training, eight villages expressed interest in registering new cooperatives.

The programme brought together participants from the two Tikinas of Lomaloma and Mualevu, with representatives from the outlying islands of Tuvuca and Cikobia also in attendance.

Both islands have existing cooperatives, Tuvuca Cooperatives Ltd and Cikobia Cooperatives Ltd, and the training aimed to strengthen their governance and management capacity.