Grant 1:
Project Date: February 2018 – January 2019
Grant Value: Type B – FJ $141,000
Area of Focus: Rural women life skills programme
Project Status: COMPLETED
Grant 2:
Project Date: April 2019 – March 2021
Grant Value: Type B – FJ $300,000
Area of Focus: Women’s economic empowerment and organisational capacity building
About the Project
Ra Naari Parishad (RNP) began in the wake of the 1987 Military Coup as a response to assisting rural Fijian women of Indian descent who were affected within the rural Ra community. It was officially incorporated in 1989 and has today grown to where it is a fully-fledged NGO.
RNP’s focus is on improving the lives of all women of Ra by empowering them, through many different projects towards independence and self-sustainability. This is achieved by working through registered women’s clubs who meet on a regular basis as well as with donor agencies.
Whilst many projects have been initiated, some of the bigger ones have been the implementation of bee farms, an organic nursery, and a fish farm. In addition to the projects, workshops and training programs are continuously held on topics such as Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, Disaster Management, Financial Literacy, Health, and Wellbeing, etc.
The Fiji Women’s Fund has given two grants to RNP:
Grant 1:
- The grant enabled RNP to conduct activities to achieve outcomes across three key programmatic areas; Income Diversification, Attainment of Qualifications and life-skills workshops.
- Support 110 rural women to diversify household and community income via the delivery of fortnightly trainings and workshops on a rotating basis to the 11 mother’s clubs.
- Increase the organisation’s current active membership by 30% (from 110 to approximately 145), via the efficient and innovative delivery of training and workshops in each of the 11 settlements, increasing confidence in business skills, female empowerment, nutrition, female health, and financial literacy.
- 60% of members participate in an oratory competition, providing women the opportunity to grow their confidence as community leaders and independent business owners via increased local networks with trainers, CSO’s and Government
- Ensure 80% of workshops and trainings are co-delivered with childcare to enable more women in the community to participate in trainings and workshops.
- 5% of members apply for a position of leadership as a member of the Management Board, Justice of the Peace or Advisory Counsellor, contributing to a strong local movement of women taking leadership roles in Government and NGO’s.
Grant 2:
RNP will deliver the project in collaboration with 14 women’s clubs located in Rakiraki.
- This grant will enable the Ra Naari Parishad to achieve the following;
- Support three bee-keeping communities in Ra by providing full sets of equipment with bees, customised training, and other business development support to sustain women and family bee businesses
- Identify and respond to the income-generating needs of nine women’s groups in Ra through economic mapping, GESI, leadership and skills trainings, and product development support to increase women’s entrepreneurial capabilities and empowerment.
- Build the capacity of RNP volunteers, staff, Management, Board/Executive Committee members to enhance theorganisation‘s profile, effectiveness, efficiency and relevance to women of Ra.
About Ra Naari Parishaad
Ra Naari Parishad, a local community organisation established in 1989, works with women and girls in the Ra community to support economic empowerment, promote leadership and promote involvement of rural women and girls in decision- making processes.
Website: http://www.ranaariparishad.org/