Food security has taken center stage in the efforts of the non-governmental organization Live and Learn, particularly in informal settlements across Fiji.

Under the Atoll Food Futures program, Live and Learn has extended its support to five informal settlements, with the most recent addition being the Bilo Settlement located in Lami, just outside Suva.

Project Manager Ponijese Korovulavula points out that informal settlements are home to many vulnerable populations, and they face numerous challenges, including limited access to fresh and nutritious food and the impacts of climate change.

[Project Manager Ponijese Korovulavula]

“We are training them on how to be smart in terms of planting and also for our training we have included how they raise seedlings because most of them for the training, they does not have access to it because they have been isolated.”

Korovulavula explains that the decision to focus on informal settlements comes from the understanding that these communities are often overlooked in vital community development initiatives.

The goal is to bridge this gap and empower communities to achieve food security and address the challenges posed by climate change.

By collaborating closely with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Australian government-funded project under Live and Learn has provided essential training in seed raising, good agricultural practices, seed extraction, and seed saving.

These initiatives are designed to equip residents with the knowledge and tools needed to sustain their food sources.