Suva, October 31 – A week long empowerment training facilitated by the Ministry of Youth and Sports has just concluded.Twenty-eight youth participants attended the training organised to assist youths in setting up income generating projects to support livelihood development. The empowerment training also enabled participants to develop skills on book keeping and budgeting, view farming as a business and create awareness of Government initiatives.

The empowerment training also drew support from other stakeholders such as the Fiji National Sports Commission (sports development), Ministry of Agriculture, Community Policing and Ministry of Health and Peer Educators promoting knowledge of sexual reproductive and mental health.

 The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Laisenia Tuitubou, commented: “the Ministry of Youth and Sports is continuously making an effort to recognise the needs of youths in our country,” he said. “Through our divisional officers and training centres we have been able to identify youth groups that need our assistance and devise informative training packages for them.”

 “This training will lead to a greater return of investment when these individuals find employment or start up their own businesses and contribute towards the growth of the Fijian economy.” 

Tevita Silikiwai, president of Matakavou youth club, commented that he would apply the lessons learnt and develop his own farming plan.

“I am able to develop a very simple farm plan that I will be implementing in the month of November, that will have 100 mounts of cassava and vudi for food security,” he said.
“I have learnt a lot on business planning which will assist me in developing a simple business plan for any small business that I start in the near future.”

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will continue to support the project through continued monitoring and evaluation.