Suva, 11 October 2017 – A virgin coconut oil production training for the village of Totoya in Lau organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports has just concluded.

25 youths graduated after the weeklong training held at Muaicokalau, Totoya in Lau which was facilitated by Loving Island of Fiji, a locally registered non-governmental organisation.

The training will encouraged the production of organic coconut virgin oil using local resources and develop the community to mobilize itself by networking and using the resources available to accelerate development in Totoya.

A participants said that the Virgin Coconut Oil processing was easy and materials for processing were cheap and readily available. He further elaborated that the skills learnt during the training will allow him to support his family in their daily livelihoods.

“Coconuts are readily available on the Island and this training will assist the youths in becoming more marketable and making a living by engaging in this trade,” he said.

“This will further bring income to the Island and also invite potential stakeholders to invest in the development of our Island.”

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon Laisenia Tuitubou, commented “as a result of my tour to Lau earlier this year, I am very happy that this training has taken place so quickly. I encourage the youths to take what they have learned and grow their businesses from a small beginning into a larger undertaking and employ more young people.”

Participants acknowledged the assistance provided by the Ministry in ensuring the people of Totoya receive access to such training and creating avenues to grow their livelihoods.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will play an active role in ensuring the proper management and sustainability of the project.