About PC | The Theme | Lenten Stories | Materials | Fun Fundraising | Multimedia | In Your Community | Donate

Lenten Stories: Week 6

To download and save PDF kits containing the Lenten stories - right-click on the links on the right and select "Save Target As ...

Improving life for subsistence farmers in Fiji

Atanasio Dianirove, 24, lives in the village of Vuna on the island of Taveuni, Fiji. He is participating in the Tutu project launched in 2004 by the Marist Training Centre and supported by Caritas Australia.

Taveuni island is the third largest island in the Fiji archipelago. It has a population of approximately 12,000 mainly rural villagers who depend on the land and sea resources for their livelihood. In 1999 a study revealed that every fourth household in Fiji was living below the poverty line. This reinforced the need to focus on developing a skilled agricultural workforce to ensure more productive and sustainable use of the rich natural land and sea resources.

The aim of the Tutu program is to provide non-formal adult education to enable young, local men to establish themselves as self-reliant farmers using their own land and sea resources for self employment. The emphasis is on moving from subsistence farming towards commercial enterprise and an attitudinal change is needed to enable this to happen. Hence, there is a strong emphasis on human development strategies that build self-respect and confidence so these young men can take their life into their own hands. Participants are trained on a 1200 acre training farm and the program runs on a work-for-study basis where fees and meal costs are waived in return for working on the farm.

Before commencing the program the young farmers plant trees on their own land to start implementing sustainable farming practices. The program, which runs for four years, teaches a range of business skills including planning, goal setting, budgeting, banking, public speaking and leadership. Agricultural topics
taught include land management, soil, crops, fertilizers, land, nutrition and sanitation. Skills are also taught in basic machine maintenance, carpentry, furniture making, timber production and sawmilling.

The practical component of the course requires farmers to spend half of their course time working on their own farms implementing knowledge from the course with regular monitoring visits from staff from the Training Centre offering advice and expertise. Income that students earn from their own farm during this time is saved in a compulsory savings scheme. Each farmer has their own passbook and money is only allowed to be withdrawn for housing costs.

Atanasio is in his final year of the four year course. Since commencing the course he has learned how to grow two different crops and recently completed building his own home, completed with furniture made using the sawmill and other woodwork equipment from the centre. The house, which cost him $5000 in raw materials was paid for with money he saved from selling his crops.

"I am getting married soon and I hope to save enough money to pay for the cost of the wedding. I am learning to be independent and not to always rely on my parents to help pay for everything,” he said.

So far the Tutu program has benefited 43 young farmers. Demand for the course is currently higher than the capacity to offer it so there is an ongoing need within the community.

Your support
Your donation to Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion will support vital agricultural programs in Fiji and the Oceania region.