Growing resilient communities in Fiji
In 2016, Tropical Cyclone Winston devastated many communities in Fiji, destroying homes and farms and leaving thousands homeless. The Category 5 cyclone, which claimed the lives of 44 people, was one of the strongest storms to make landfall anywhere on Earth since modern records began. Save the Children supported people in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone before establishing a long-term programme to rebuild agriculture, strengthen community disaster risk management, and promote food security and nutrition.
Why families in Fiji need help building resilience
In the aftermath of Winston, two regions in Fiji – Ra and Koro Island – were badly affected. With farms and agriculture in the regions devastated, locals began to seek out alternative sources of income, such as casual labour, leaving productive farmland unattended and leading to greater food insecurity across the country.
Fiji is increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters, and the impact of climate change, with high winds, flooding, and storm surges imposing substantial damage when they hit. That’s why it’s vital we support communities, including children, to better prepare for disasters, including growing resilient crops, disaster planning, and risk mitigation so families cope better in times of natural disasters.
Save the Children’s Knowledge and Action in Agriculture and Food Security (KANA) project
Farmers in 24 communities attended agricultural training sessions, receiving seedlings, fruit trees, water tanks, nurseries and farm tools to develop agriculture to a commercial level, providing improved household incomes.
The production of cash crops increased significantly, and a centralised collection hub was constructed to ensure rural farmers could combine their crops and access markets. A variety of seasonal vegetables were also established to provide additional income for families, nutritional benefits for children, and increased resilience to crop failures.
Each community now has a disaster committee to reduce the risks from future tropical cyclones, and families have been supported to plant trees, build seawalls, renovate evacuation centres, and install proper drainage.
How we know we’re making a difference
The increased income enabled farmers to extend their homes, support children’s health and education, invest in farming assets, renovate community halls, and open savings accounts to ensure quicker recovery after disasters.
School gardens were established in 11 schools and school kitchens were also refurbished so healthy lunches could be provided each day using crops from the gardens. Surplus vegetables are sold to buy fish or chicken for lunches and purchase school supplies.
Impact snapshot
- 7,000 people benefited directly from the project.
- Household income increased by 93% in Ra Province and by 44% on Koro Island.
- 12 communities were supported with small grants for agricultural equipment.
- 46 school gardens were established in 11 schools.
- 110 people were trained on food hygiene to make school lunches from the school gardens.
- The proportion of children in the normal weight range increased from 62% to 83%.
- A crop resilience calendar was developed to reduce crop losses during disasters.
- 14 women's groups were supported with implements such as cooking pots, weaving tools and knives so they can make artisanal products.
Meet Seruwaia
Seruwaia, 13, was just six years old when Tropical Cyclone Winston hit. The category 5 cyclone, which claimed the lives of 44 people and devastated entire communities across Fiji, destroying homes and farms, was one of the strongest storms to make landfall anywhere on Earth since modern records began.
Seruwaia was living with her parents in Suva and remembers her family evacuating to the local school in the aftermath of the disaster. Seven years later, and now living with her grandparents in Fiji’s Ra Province, Seruwaia’s school is one of 11 to benefit from Save the Children’s Knowledge and Action in Agriculture and Food Security (KANA) project.
Seruwaia is one of her local school’s ‘food heroes’ — a role she loves, helping grow crops like beans, taro, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, tomatoes, and tapioca that are used to make school lunches for the children.
“I look after it by weeding it, watering, harvesting, and supervising others on how to toil the land.
“It’s important to know how to plant, to provide for your family and sell to provide income. You also save money instead of buying food.”
Seruwaia, whose family has also benefitted from specialist training, seedlings and tools, says the extra money from selling produce has helped the family in many ways, from building a new home to school supplies. Her grandfather is also the school caretaker and when COVID-19 lockdowns hit the community, was able to harvest from the school gardens to feed the community.
Seruwaia wants to be a lawyer when she grows up, but for now is happy helping on her family’s farm, located a steep half hour climb at the top of the hill behind the family home.
"It’s a simple life. There are some things that we do like farming, like growing beans, carrots, lettuce, tapioca, taro and spinach.
“At around 3-4pm I water the crops, do some weeding, a bit of harvesting and keep an eye out on its overall health. In Suva everything costs money, to go somewhere, enjoy yourself, eat and pay bills, however in the village you eat what you plant and life is much simpler.
“What I have learned from my grandparents, I pass that knowledge down to the younger children. Like farming styles and how to look after the land. I am also asked or invited sometimes to help out on other farms.”
Seruwaia is still fearful of natural disasters, and has noticed the impact of climate change on the family’s gardens and community.
“When droughts last longer, the ground dries up and plants die before harvesting.
"The biggest change I would like to see is to look after our land better, by stopping cutting down trees and managing our rubbish and waste more sustainably.”
In another community in Ra, local youths are growing pineapples with seedlings provided from Save the Children to raise money to rebuild their community hall.
Local farmer Samuela, 63, with his grandchildren Solomoni, 11, and Suliasi, 10. He says the money the family makes from selling their produce is used to support children’s education, health and wellbeing.
Who makes our programme possible
This project is supported by Aotearoa New Zealand’s International Development Cooperation Programme — Ngā Hoe Tuputupu-mai-tawhiti. Find out more about this Government support here. The programme is also supported by our generous regular givers, whose monthly contribution works to create irreversible positive change for and with children at home and around the world.
Save the Children works in partnership with the Fiji Government.
