People of Namuavoivoi, Lekutu, Bua, are investing in natural resource management through climate smart agriculture, which addresses the interlinked challenge of food security and climate change.

This is made possible through the Learning Environ­ment Adaptation Project (LEAP) in Fiji, implemented by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Fiji through funding support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Pacific Ameri­can Funds.

Namuavoivoi Youth Group leader Mere Mira said they now had an integrated approach to managing their crop­land and more had been involved in backyard gardening with the use of organic fertilisers and manure.

“A major change in the village is women’s involvement in backyard gardening by planting vegetables that address food and nutrition security for our families,” Ms Mira said.

“We are making our own compost and manure which we are applying to our gardens, and we have set up a farm for our youth group using the new farming techniques which we learnt.”

They hope to sell their produce and use the income to sup­port village projects.

Ms Mira said before the implementation of LEAP in their community, they relied on taro leaves and local spinach.

“We used to buy our vegetables from a vendor who comes to our village. His supplies used to run short. We are not buying now because we have our own supplies from our gardens,” she said.

Namuavoivoi is part of the 50 communities in the North­en Division where the project is being implemented – 36 of which are from the Bua Province.

The aim of LEAP is to improve the resilience and adap­tive capacities of women and men subsistence for natural resource management.

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