Country Overview

Over 70% of Fiji's population relies on subsistence agriculture, raw minerals and tourism for their livelihoods. Although an abundance of natural resources should ensure success in these fields, many Fijians have fallen below the poverty line, which has been a significant issue as Fiji’s political systems continue to change. According to the Asian Development Bank the percentage of Fijians living below the poverty line was estimated at 25% in 1990 and by 2002 it had risen to 40%. Fiji's main development concerns include a lack of Infrastructure, poor access to safe drinking water and the emergence of urban squatter settlements.

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Though Fiji is one of the better performing economies in the Pacific, around 40% of the population is considered poor and the political instability has served to exacerbate poverty. Due to its location, the country is also vulnerable to natural disasters which are extremely devastating to the tourism industry, a primary source of income for the country.

AFAP is working in Fiji to reduce the negative impacts of these natural disasters and is helping its residents prepare action plans before the disasters hit. Other important areas of development that are tackled by AFAP and its local partner Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF) are sustainable management of marine and forest resources, rights and responsibilities and youth and gender.

Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF), engages in community empowerment projects to enhance the futures of the people of Fiji and focuses primarily on a bottom-up approach all through the project’s life cycle.

PCDF Programs

Grassroots Opportunities for Action and Leadership
Fiji, Solomon Islands

Rural and outer island communities are often challenged with poor development planning and lack of access to social and economic services. The Grassroots Opportunities For Action and Leadership aims to link the community's process of planning, decision-making and action to national policies and to promote community development that links to the EU Cotonou Framework for Development Assistance.

Environment

Coral Reef Restoration Program

Using theatre performances and interactive drama techniques, this program tackles issues related to the marine environment and coastal reef protection. Through the program, an environmental education video and radio dramas on key marine environmental conservation issues have been created. This program specifically targets youth, teachers and community theatre groups.

The Coral Gardens Initiative

Coral reefs throughout the Pacific Island are becoming over-fished and degraded since communities are beginning to use destructive fishing methods including poisons and dynamite. The goal of this program is to develop and implement a comprehensive and workable community-based model for coral reef management and marine resource recovery. Thus far, the primary Coral Gardens sites in Cuvu and Tuva Districts have established comprehensive management plans with five no-fishing areas.

The Living Waters Wai BulaBula Program
Nutrient loading has a negative impact on coral reefs and marine eco-systems so this program is aiming to eliminate this negative practice by promoting innovative and appropriate technologies instead. The program is building the capacity of communities to manage and reduce waste entering the marine environment through participatory awareness-raising workshops. Both the Coral Gardens and Living Waters programs work to empower local communities to reverse the decline of coral reefs and near-shore waters and to increase local benefits such as food income and reef-based tourism.

Health

Youth and Mental Health (Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu)

There is a growing trend in the Pacific for youth to use violence – against themselves or others – as a response to stresses in their daily life. In addition, there is an increase in mental health problems such as depression and suicide.
As over 50% of the population of Vanuatu – and many other Pacific nations – is under 25, this represents a major problem for the region.
The program works at community, national and regional levels to increase the level of awareness and destigmatise this issue among parents, teachers, policy makers and traditional leaders.

Capacity Building in Rural Education

Though education is a main priority in Fiji, there is a tendency to focus development only in areas where infrastructure is in place and easily accessible. As a result, rural schools and communities are often overlooked by development agencies. This project aims at empowering communities to take ownership of their education development by mainstreaming education support at village, district and provincial levels.