Caption: Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka, Deputy Secretary Mr. Mitieli Cama and Commissioner Eastern Division Mr. Vitale Varo with the Dravikula family of Tavua Village in Koro and other nearby residents at the commissioning of the Dravikula Bakery business on Koro Island in June this year.
LOMAIVITI – The Dravikula Family of Tavua Village in the district of Cawa in Koro are optimistic that the provision of baking materials and equipment from the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management will enable them to expand their small bakery business which they revived two months ago.
The family was recipient of this assistance by Government under the Ministry’s Self – Help Programme (SHP).
With what started off with only two bags of flour and a small stove, the bakery is now owners of a fully-fledged oven, producing at least 70 loaves a day, and operating six days a week on weekly earnings of around $800.00.
“The biggest challenge we faced when we started was the unavailability of a proper oven. We initially was using a drum to bake, then it was damaged. So we bought a small oven then it got damaged as well. But with this help from Government, business has really run smoothly. We are now running at 8 bags of flour a week compared to just two bags when we initially started,” said Mr. Inoke Veimayaki, a member of the Dravikula family who is heading the bakery business.
The bakery currently sells bread to the villages of Tavua and Nabasovi.
They have plans to soon purchase a van to be used to deliver bread to other villages in the district of Cawa.
“There are a lot of demands, but we have not been able to meet it. We hope to get a vehicle soon to enable us to reach out to these neighboring villages.”
Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka commissioned the project in June and was impressed by the progress and plans the family had for the business.
The Dravikula Family Bakery business has also started diversifying into other income generating avenues from money earned through the bakery.
“We have started selling frozen foods as well, and also have a piggery on the side which we hope to soon expand as well. Our plan is to establish a cooperative for us so these other revenue streams could all feed into it,” Mr Veimayaki added.
The business has plans to also start providing employment to locals once they operate steadily in the near future.
The objective of this income generating project (IGP) is to promote socio-economic development, and also encourage villagers to revive small and micro businesses as alternative sources of income.
Caption: Mr. Inoke Veimayaki, a member of the Dravikula family who is heading the bakery business briefs the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka.
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The Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management is responsible for implementing development strategies that bring Fijians living in rural and maritime regions the same level of access to essential services and economic opportunities as anywhere else in the country. We coordinate and implement the Fiji Government’s rural and maritime development initiatives with a mission to empower Fiji’s rural sector. We also spearhead disaster risk reduction initiatives at national and sub-national level including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. We have offices for each of Fiji’s 14 provinces including Rotuma, leading the Fiji Government’s rural development and disaster risk management operations.
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