Celebrating the achievement of women farmers is a message the Waibau Womens Group aim to share with its members.

While farming may be considered a man’s job, these group of women are changing this.

Waibau Womens Group is a collective of 6 Women Farmers who have come together to encourage each other to grow more root crops, vegetables, flowers, fruit and more trees.

They also try to engage in traditional practices such as mat weaving.

Group President Makereta Nofoimuli said farming is not a walk in the park but can be very rewarding.

“The members of the Waibau Womens Group plant Rourou, Carrots, Capsium, Eggplant and cucumber.

‘Within the six women’s farms approximately 12 Acres is dedicated to the Waibau Womens Group.

“The Waibau Womens Group farms in Naqaraivi, Waibau, Naitasiri.”

“All women in the Waibau Womens Group have been farming on and off in the area for the last 40 years with mixed success.”

“From 2019 we have been very focused in what we are doing and we have seen some encouraging results.

“With the sale of all produce on our Facebook page we save time, the women don’t have to come to market and spend the whole day in Suva Market with no guarantee of sales.”

“The women have shared experiences of coming to market to sell their produce only to return without sufficient to pay bus fares,” Mrs Nofoimuli said.

Waibau Womens Group preparing kie for drying.

She added that each woman can earn anything from $150 to $1000 per week depending on what they sell and the effort they put in.

Mrs Nofoimuli said farming has helped all members of the Waibau Womens Group make ends meet and lift their standards of living and also educate their children.

Waibau Womens Group has plans to venture into raising bees as it is also profitable.

“Members of our group have gone through the Fiji Bee Keepers Association training.”

“We would like to create a few additional fish ponds to raise Tilapia Fish. We successfully did a 3,000 fish Tilapia Pond in 2020.”

“We got hindered in 2021 with the lockdown.”

“We are also members of the Tavioka Growers Association who we supply Tavioka to and they mill it into Gluten Free Tavioka Flour,” Mrs Nofoimuli said.

In remembering International Women’s Day, the Waibau Womens Group would like to acknowledge all grandmothers, aunties and mothers for all that they have done for society.

“The traditional knowledge passed to this generation e.g weaving, traditional protocols of women in any traditional gatherings etc. Also with encouraging our young girls in our families, village and community that we are here to serve and to make a difference,” Mrs Nofoimuli said.

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