We can buy that
31.03.2010
Women plant a seed of hope in Fiji.
“Give me a good reason why the Canada Fund should finance your facilitation project here in Labasa, Fiji. And don’t say that it is to facilitate a development project for poor women. That is what everyone says. Give me a unique angle that will convince my boss!”
Adi Vasu of the Pacific Centre for Peace-building (PCP) thought for a moment and said, “Here in Fiji, indigenous Fijian women’s groups can connect with government through their provinces. Our hierarchical culture demands that the leader has to be a chiefly woman. But if she is not committed to the group the other women can’t offend by bypassing her, so nothing happens.
On the other hand, the more egalitarian Indo-Fijian women have a freedom to discuss and act but they don’t have a clear route to government. A multi-racial women’s group would pool the strengths of both. That is why you should fund our PCP program to facilitate the Vunicuicui Multi-racial Women’s Forum in their cooperative store and seed bank projects.
“O.K. that’s it!” said Leonie Smiley, the Canada Fund lady. I think we can buy that.
Small beginnings
PCP was formed at the beginning of 2009 with five members in Suva, and Adi Vasu (Fijian) and her assistant Sindu (Indo-Fijian) in the Labasa town office. Adi Vasu had previously met some members of the rural Vunicuicui Women’s Forum at a workshop in Labasa. She realized that it was a unique group and wanted to help.
The women shared their knowledge and skills with each other. The Fijian women are Methodist and the Indo-Fijian women are Hindu. Prayers at the beginning of each meeting alternated between religions. At times the women met only once every two or three months but the forum persevered.
Challenges
Language and communication is the biggest problem the forum faces. Some members speak only their mother tongue but not English or the other vernacular.
Adi Vasu visited the Vunicuicui ladies and heard about their problems. On her advice they sent a petition for electricity to the government through the provincial office. The Forum women decided their priority need was a shop because there is none in that area of the settlement. The Forum, guided by the PCP facilitators, began to plan for a cooperative shop and eventually when electricity arrives, an internet café for the children to use for school projects.
The area is also subject to
bad flooding. In the past the government has been slow in assisting the replanting of crops. So a seed bank, situated in a Fijian village on high ground, became a second Forum project.
Working together
Nine members of the Forum completed an eight day New Business Creation course last June. Most of them got small grants and loans from the government for individual projects. Their group project for the cooperative shop was also approved.
In July, the Forum had a visit from the Minister for Women. She applauded the multi-racial composition of the group and gave them a present of a sewing machine.
Adi Vasu invited me to facilitate two one day intercultural workshops for the Forum. Because the work of this multi-cultural group of women is ongoing, I accepted gladly. I tried to help the Fijian and Indo-Fijian ladies to understand how their different cultural values and communication styles could affect their work together.
The Forum officers had one big blow-up in front of the bank manager. An agreed change of contractor was not written in the business plan. When this was discovered, just as the bank manager was to sign over the grant money to them, an emotional explosion occurred which split the group along racial lines. Racial stereotypes got a loud airing in public resulting in shame and fear.
However, the PCP facilitators later helped the group to reflect and learn from this.
Looking back and forward
On January 20, 2010 I was honored to bless the shop site at the soil cutting ceremony. Government officials, bankers and local people were present. In the context of mistrust between Fijians and Indo-Fijians fanned by four coups in the last 20 years, the Vunicuicui Woman’s Forum and the Pacific Centre for Peace-building. have planted a seed of hope. It points the way to a better future though there is still a long way to travel.
Columban Fr Frank Hoare was ordained in 1973. He has recentlyreturned to Fiji.
