FIJI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (FCDP) Achievements of the First Three Years

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1 FIJI COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (FCDP) Achievements of the First Three Years A grant funding and capacity building program for Civil Society Organisations in Fiji Fiji Community Development Program is managed by Coffey on behalf of the Australian Government.

2 FCDP OVERVIEW GOAL: To deliver social and economic benefits to the people of Fiji through strengthened CSOs. DURATION: LOCATION: Project offices in Suva, Lautoka and Labasa. 84 GRANTS FJ$ 7.3m+ 4 KEY AREAS ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RESPONSE FJ$ 1.5 MILLION LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD SECURITY FJ$ 1.4 MILLION HEALTH (INCLUDING WASH) FJ$ 4.1 MILLION SURPASSING TARGETS The three-year FCDP targets of reaching 42,000 beneficiaries and supporting 42 CSOs have been exceeded. 113,000 beneficiaries have been reached and 65 CSOs supported. The latter includes faithbased organisations (FBOs), Community-based organisations (CBOs) and international nongovernment organisations (INGOs). Number of activities across Fiji WESTERN DIVISION NORTHERN DIVISION CENTRAL DIVISION : During Phase 2, FCDP will continue to establish a base of strengthened CSOs to extend service delivery to poor, vulnerable and excluded communities in closer partnership with government. EASTERN DIVISION 113,000 PEOPLE REACHED 51% 49% COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING FJ$ 290, CSOs RECEIVED SUPPORT TO STRENGTHEN ORGANISATIONAL CAPACITY IN SEVEN AREAS. 88% RURAL 37% COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GRANTS IN THE FORM OF THE COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP) 27% EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CALL FOR PROPOSALS) MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT EXTERNAL RELATIONS 12% URBAN TYPES OF GRANTS DISBURSED 1 13% CYCLONE EVAN/EMERGENCY RESPONSE 12% CAPACITY-BUILDING REQUESTS 11% CORE FUNDING SERVICE DELIVERY SUSTAINABILITY GOVERNANCE HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 540 COMMUNITIES 208 SCHOOLS 2

3 FCDP GRANT FUNDING FCDP CAPACITY-BUILDING OBJECTIVE 1: Mitigate social and economic hardship faced by poor, vulnerable and excluded communities in Fiji by funding community development work of CSOs. OBJECTIVE 2: Strengthen CSO capacity to deliver relevant and efficient programs for poor, vulnerable and excluded communities in Fiji. FJ$ 7.3 MILLION DISPERSED ACROSS 84 GRANTS HEALTH (INC. WASH) FJ$ 4.1 million Counselling, sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness and advocacy, vision and hearing care, water, sanitation and hygiene, child nutrition and non-communicable disease awareness. # ACTIVITIES BY DIVISION 25 WESTERN 6 NORTHERN 10 CENTRAL 3 EASTERN 65 CSOs SUPPORTED 660 The program provided support to CSOs to develop their capacity to deliver projects more effectively. Activities were CSO driven and based on their priorities. Over 660 participants took part in PARTICIPANTS capacity-building activities along with numerous government agencies and community members. This support was delivered through workshops, roundtable discussions, drop-in sessions, networking events, one-on-one mentoring and advice, exchange visits, grants for specific technical support and provision of technical assistance. 57% 43% TARGET 42,000 REACHED 42 CSOs SUPPORTED ACTUAL 113,000 REACHED 65 CSOs SUPPORTED BASED ON SEX AGGREGATED DATA AVAILABLE GRANTS WENT TO CSOs, CBOs, FBOs AND INGOs 42% 58% 51% 49% FIRST TIME GRANT RECIPIENTS PREVIOUS DFAT GRANT RECIPIENTS ENVIRONMENT, CLIMATE CHANGE AND DISASTER RESPONSE FJ$ 1.5 million Disaster Risk Management (Tropical Cyclone Evan/emergency response e.g. emergency shelters, food pack distribution), sustainable natural resource management and climate change mitigation and adaptation. LIVELIHOODS AND FOOD SECURITY FJ$ 1.4 million Community-based income generating activities (e.g. piggeries, beekeeping and animal husbandry), small business plan development and governance. Agriculture, micro-nurseries, sustainable food production and low-cost fertiliser production. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLANNING FJ$ 290,000 Community engagement training, community profiling and community development planning. 8 WESTERN 5 NORTHERN 1 CENTRAL 2 EASTERN 7 WESTERN 3 NORTHERN 3 CENTRAL 1 EASTERN 10 WESTERN 18 NORTHERN 10 CENTRAL CAPACITY-BUILDING WAS PROVIDED TO 42 CSOs, 14 FBOs, 5 CBOs AND 4 INGOs. 46 SUVA-BASED, 19 NON-SUVA-BASED. CAPACITY-BUILDING AREAS GOVERNANCE GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, VISION, BOARD ROLES, CONSTITUTION AND STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT. MANAGEMENT PRACTICES MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE, LEADERSHIP, STRATEGIC AND PARTICIPATORY PLANNING AND RISK MANAGEMENT. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT STAFF RESOURCES, STAFF DEVELOPMENT, HR SYSTEMS AND POLICIES, AND DIVERSITY. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT BUDGETING, ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, FINANCIAL REPORTING AND MONITORING, AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS. SERVICE DELIVERY IMPROVING TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION, CHILD PROTECTION, GENDER EQUALITY, DISABILITY INCLUSION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT, WASH AND COMMUNITY BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT. EXTERNAL RELATIONS MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS, GOVERNMENT RELATIONS, CSO NETWORKING, RELATIONS WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGIES. SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINING PROGRAM BENEFITS AND BROADENING/MOBILISING THE RESOURCE BASE. 3 4

4 STORIES FROM FROM RA HONEY FLOWS OPPORTUNITY If it weren t for Lilieta Lewanasau s honey business, the family would not have been able to support their eldest son Kitione s studies overseas. Kitione was only given three days to obtain his passport and board the plane for India, explains Lilieta. It so happened that I had just harvested honey from my bee farm so I was able to pay for our trip to Suva and his emergency passport. We send him spending money every month. Lilieta is among a growing number of women that have gone into the apiary business under the support and guidance of the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), the community outreach arm of the faith-based organisation of the Shree Saraswati Ramayan Mandali. Through its SDU, interested farmers are offered start-up boxes of ten hives of 7000 bees and a queen bee, frames, wax, extraction tools and suits. SDU field officers visit beekeepers regularly to offer technical advice and training on apiary and financial literacy. In 2012, SDU assisted over 300 men and nearly 200 women bee farmers in Sigatoka, Ba, Tavua and Ra on the west coast of Viti Levu, Fiji s main island. IT S NEVER TOO LATE FOR THE GIFT OF SIGHT When the Fiji Society for the Blind (FSB) helped give two women a chance to gaze upon their children and grand-children for the first time in years, they also gave new hope. Akesa Radinioloi and Alitia Ratunivono, two 74-year-olds in Nayawa Village in Sigatoka, both suffered from extreme bilateral cataracts that deteriorated over time, plunging their lives into darkness. Whilst conducting screenings in the village, FSB s Community Based Rehabilitation Program Co-ordinator, Vilisi Nacei, heard about the two women from villagers and decided to speak with them. It took me a long time to convince both to get their eyes screened. They had given up hope completely and would not even come out of the house. After I promised them it would not hurt at all, they agreed. According to Vilisi, cataracts are fairly prevalent among adults and the most common cause of blindness. In July 2014 Akesa and Alitia successfully underwent surgery at Sigatoka Hospital and began to regain normal vision. Says Alitia with a smile: If it wasn t for the program, I would never have conjured the courage to seek help and rediscover what being able to do things for myself feels like again. BETTER ENGAGEMENT MEANS BETTER OUTCOMES In order to have a successful project it is vital that the community is engaged from the beginning. The Community Action Program (CAP) has not only enabled me to grow as an individual, but has also strengthened my organisation. The most important tool has been the community profile. These were the sentiments of Ashweeni Lata, the Health Manager of Save the Children Fiji who is also a participant in the CAP, an approach piloted by FCDP that directly links CSO capacity-building with community engagement activities. Through this program, FCDP aims to strengthen CSOs to work with rural and vulnerable communities to develop community profiles and development plans in a participatory and inclusive way. Adds Ashweeni: The information we collected through community profiling has helped in better planning and better implementation of projects. She has seen that by applying the CAP approach, communities start taking action rather than depending on CSOs. Community ownership of the plans and activities extends across the board. The Turaga-Ni- Koro of Nabukadogo, Mosese Nawabalavu, confirms this: Now we seek consultations from the elderly and people with disabilities in decision-making and village meetings by either visiting them or ensuring other ways their views are heard. VALOVONI VILLAGE TAKES CHARGE Illisapeci Cama has led a fairly normal life for 28 years as a housewife and mother in Valovoni village, Cakaudrove. All of that is set to change as she becomes the first Early Childhood Educator in her community. The need for a village pre-school was identified through the Community Action Program (CAP) process which aims to help communities to identify, prioritise and articulate their needs. At Valovoni, local CSO Cakaudrove Provincial Youth Council underwent a training program that enabled it to develop participatory and inclusive community profiles and development plans. Its Youth Coordinator, Mr Sekaia Malani, said the CAP concept was new to all involved. The community identified at least 20 issues, the major one being the lack of a village pre-school given the nearest school was a two-hour walk away; another issue was the need for better lighting at night. The genuinely consultative process began to see results almost immediately. Without waiting for external assistance, the village got to work. Money from the community was collected to purchase solar lighting units which provide illumination, increasing safety and security particularly for women and children. The village also gathered resources to build a pre-school and pooled funds for Illisapeci to undertake Early Childhood Education training in Labasa. LINKING CSOs AND COMMUNITIES ALIKE Community exchange visits help broaden and change understanding, practices and behaviour both in communities and organisations. An FCDP-supported exchange between CSOs Live and Learn Environmental Education and World Wide Fund (WWF) Pacific and their respective communities from the Drawa Block and Mali District created new openings for development. The trip to the Mali communities prompted a look into alternative income generation activities and strengthened governance and conservation efforts. In turn, the trip to Drawa Block provided a greater insight into connections between forests, waterways and marine ecosystems - from Ridge to Reef. Participant Nemani Naqase of Vatuvonu village found the whole process empowering. The communities of Mali began from a degraded environment, where their livelihoods were greatly affected. Our communities in the highlands have not reached total destruction. If we don t act it will cause our demise. I think it s time for us to be the warriors of climate change. Meanwhile WWF Pacific project officer, Unaisi Tagicakibau, spoke of CSO collaboration: Bigger results were achieved than we expected. We, as CSOs, have limited resources and if we get more opportunities to work together we can achieve so much especially if we are working on common goals. A SMALL ISLAND WITH A POTENTIALLY BIG FOOD FUTURE Cargo boats don t stop at Batiki Island. Unlike its much bigger neighbours, Gau and Koro, Batiki does not export cash crops like yaqona (kava) or dalo (taro). But this may be changing soon. We ve had our soil tested and the results will tell us the best cash crop to grow, explains Emori Ralolo. Already we have noticed some remarkable changes in recent years. Crops that could hardly grow on Batiki are now growing in abundance. Emori is one of the few elderly men that live on Vesi, the lead village on Batiki. With the chief residing in the main island of Viti Levu, Emori assists Ratu Jope Naucubalavu in holding the fort on the island. The soil testing he is referring to was done by a team from the Suva-based development NGO Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF), which has been working on Batiki for a number of years. PCDF is helping build the capacities of island communities in Batiki and Cicia to respond to the effects of climate change. In Batiki, their work focuses on food and water security. The ability to produce cash crops also helps boost livelihoods for the small island community. Lilieta Lewanasau in Barotu, Ra. Akesa Radinioloi and Alitia Ratunivono in Nayawa Village, Sigatoka. Community Members at Nabukadogo Village during a community planning visit with Save the Children. Drawa Settlement youths leading discussions on the progress of their Community Action Programs. 5 6

5 DECEMBER 2012 CYCLONE EVAN RESPONSE FOLLOWING TROPICAL CYCLONE EVAN IN DECEMBER 2012, FCDP PROVIDED FJ$ 800,000 TO NINE CSOs FOR EMERGENCY RELIEF. OVER 25,000 18,000 PEOPLE RECEIVED FAMILY FOOD PACKS 2, CHILDREN ACCESSED PEOPLE CHILD-FRIENDLY SPACES RECEIVED IN EVACUATION CENTRES ASSISTANCE TO REBUILD THEIR HOMES 800+ CHILDREN WERE SUPPORTED IN RETURNING TO SCHOOL IN FIVE CYCLONE AFFECTED AREAS FCDP DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS FOR CSOs Disaster Risk Management workshops organised by FCDP for CSOs since Cyclone Evan covered practical and consistent disaster risk management strategies and brought together the National Disaster Management Office, Local Government, CSOs and the Fiji Red Cross. These workshops clarified roles and responsibilities of the different organisations in the event of a natural disaster, in order to enhance preparedness, coordination and response effectiveness. FCDP SUVA Lot 3, Carpenter Street Raiwai, Suva Tel: (679) / / Fax: (679) FCDP LAUTOKA Private Mail Bag Raiwaqa Suva Old Treasure Island House PO Box 7258 Marine Drive Lautoka Tel: (679) Fax: (679) FCDP LABASA CONTACT FCDP 11 Nanuku Street PO Box 780 Tel: (679) Labasa Fax: (679) Web: info@fcdpfiji.org Fiji Community Development Program is managed by Coffey on behalf of the Australian Government.