A cancelled workshop on women’s development turned into an avenue to help those in need for members of the Fiji Girmit Council Women’s Wing in Lautoka.
The group used part of a grant received from the Australian Government through the Fiji Women’s Fund to purchase 30 grocery packs for underprivileged families.
Fiji Girmit Council Women’s Wing president Vidya Prasad said the workshop, scheduled for earlier this year, was cancelled because of the pandemic but the women used part of the funds for the workshop to help families affected by the current crisis.
“We were supposed to hold a health awareness workshop and a three-day leadership workshop from the funding that we received from the Fiji Women’s Fund but, unfortunately, we couldn’t hold it so we opted to have two three-day virtual workshops and the remaining funds we thought to use it on food packs for less fortunate families,” she said.
“We have different representatives in our group from the Fiji Muslim League, the TISI, Andra Sangam, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji, Fiji Gujarat Society, Sikh Foundation Society, Sanatan Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji and from the Kabir Panth members.
“So each of us identified families that needed help and, we found 30.
“The families are from different parts of Fiji, including Suva, Lautoka, Ba and Tavua.”
She added their projects were undertaken to empower and upskill women, including those in leadership roles.
The women’s wing was established in 2018 with a management board comprising two representatives from organisations that founded the Fiji Girmit Council.
