Backyard gardens in Fiji

by Maggie Boyle, AusAID.

With more than 50 per cent of Fiji's population living in urban settlements and increasing rates of poverty, food security is a challenge.

People are migrating from rural townships to urban areas and the growing peri-urban population (those living on the urban fringes) face economic challenges such as finding employment to securing housing.

Informal settlements, also known as squatter settlements, litter the outskirts of Fiji's main cities.

An Australian-supported project is teaching communities in peri-urban areas to grow fresh food to eat and, in some cases, to sell for income.

Non-government organisation the Foundation for Rural Enterprises and Development (FRIEND) runs the backyard garden project. The project teaches different types of gardening. For example, communities by the sea find sea crabs getting into their gardens, so they've been shown how to build raised and hanging gardens. There's also training on building and cultivating garden beds, crop rotation and planting a wide range of vegetables.

Salome Silikia is a single mother of three from the Nasowata settlement where 300 people struggle to get by. Salome took part in the program and has grown her own household garden.

'Having my own garden in the little land that I share with my father has seen good changes in our family, especially the food we eat. I have learnt to plant capsicum, eggplant, pawpaw, bele and rourou here. All of which I can feed my family with.'

Adapting to climate change is also integrated into the project's mix. FRIEND trains participants to preserve food by smoking and drying fish. Participants have also learned to make cooking flours with some seasonal crops.

Project officer Vive Liutaki has been working with community groups in informal settlements over the last two years.

'We go out to the communities and assess their needs. If they are looking at ways of improving their standard of living, we work with them on a six– module program, which includes food security, disaster management and income generation to name a few.'

While food security has been an integral part of the program, earning an income and budgeting have become crucial elements.

Adi Sereana Naika, from Naviyago Village, said: 'I don't go to the market anymore, I plant what I need. Even though my husband has a salary earning $30 to $40, now I can manage to save $10 to $20 from doing my gardening, selling the extras here in the village and at the nearby school.'

More information

• Australia's aid program in Fiji
• FREIND [external site]

Last Reviewed: 16 June, 2011