In Fiji, traditional community structures often do not provide women with the ability to play an active role in decision making. This is especially common in remote areas.
Mereoni is 22 years old and lives with her three-year-old daughter in a rural village in Fiji. Mereoni recently joined Project Talitha, Mary MacKillop Today’s women’s leadership training delivered through our local partner, Ola Fou Fiji.
We had the opportunity to speak with Mereoni and hear about what the leadership training has meant for her. Mereoni shared,
“For many of us living in village communities as women, our voices are not likely to be heard in meetings. Through this training, I have been able to speak out and have courage. I am honoured to be given the opportunity to learn. To be empowered and recognised for my full potential, so I can help other young women who need help.”
Thanks to the generosity of people like you, aspiring women like Mereoni can attend our training workshops to gain vital knowledge and skills around leadership, human rights, women’s health, and financial literacy to manage their own resources.
You are helping to build the confidence and capabilities of young women to overcome deep-set barriers and make positive changes in their lives. As Mereoni explained, “Through the training, I am learning about life as a young woman… Time management, building a home for our family, and planning for our daughter’s education.”
Vital programs like Project Talitha are made possible with the kind support of people like you. You are helping to uplift young women in particularly vulnerable situations, such as women living with disabilities, victims of domestic violence, and those raising children on their own. By achieving financial independence and taking an active role in family and community decision-making, women can raise living standards for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Thank you so much for supporting women like Mereoni to find their voices, be heard by their community, and build futures where they can flourish!
“This training has helped me and my sisters to give back to the community and our families to make a difference in our lives. Through the training, I’m learning skills to invest and save to provide for my daughter and support her education. That is my priority.” –Mereoni, recent participant in Project Talitha, Mary MacKillop Today’s leadership training in Fiji delivered through our local partner, Ola Fou Fiji.
Women’s Leadership in Rural Fiji receives support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
