Women from the remote villages of Nukudamu, Nabuouono and Vunikodi in the district of Udu, Macuata, will now be able to expand income-generating opportunities and better support their families after the installation of solar deep freezers in the three villages.
This follows the handover of the solar deep freezers by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu under the ministry’s Self Help Programme to support the economic activities of their respective women’s groups at a combined cost of more than $56,000.
The assistance aims to empower women through sustainable income generation, create self-employment opportunities, improve household living standards, and contribute to food security for villagers and surrounding communities in the Udu area.
Speaking during the project handover at Vunikodi Village, Mr Bulitavu said the Government remained committed to ensuring that rural and maritime communities were not left behind in development.
He said these projects are more than just the provision of equipment; they are investments in the livelihoods and future of the women and families in remote communities.
“When women are empowered economically, the benefits are felt throughout the entire community. Through these solar freezers, women will now be able to improve food storage, reduce post-harvest losses, generate income, and support their families more sustainably,” he said.
Mr Bulitavu added that the ministry’s Self-Help Programme continued to focus on practical and community-driven initiatives that directly address the needs of rural and maritime communities.
“We understand the challenges faced by our maritime and remote villages, especially in accessing proper storage facilities and markets. Government will continue to support initiatives that strengthen resilience, improve living standards, and create opportunities for our people,” he said.
While acknowledging the Government for the timely assistance, Vunikodi Women’s Club leader Ms Kesaia said the project will help them in food storage and enable them to earn income through the sale of frozen goods.
Meanwhile, Nabuouono’s Veilomani Women’s Club leader Paulini Raumala said the new freezer would significantly boost the club’s business operations.
“We have been running a store in the village for the past 10 years and the freezer we have received today will expand our business because we will now be able to sell frozen food items and also properly store fish for sale,” said Ms Raumala.
“As you know, our main source of income is fishing, and previously we had to spend a lot of money transporting our fish to the nearest markets because we did not have a freezer. Now, we will no longer need to spend extra money travelling far to sell our fish,” she said.
She added that villagers would also benefit from easier access to frozen food items without needing to travel to Labasa.
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu (Middle)with the village womens during the handover of the solar deep freezers.
Picture: FIJI GOVERNMENT
