| ID: | 83736 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Kiribati |
| Title: | Kiribati – Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) – November 2022 |
| Description: |
Beretita Winuea lives in Uninting Community, Temakin Betio Island She was one of the PIRAS project participants who benefitted from training programs implemented in early 2022 by Live & Learn Environmental Education on various aspects of agricultural production, such as food processing and preservation, planting seeds, growing seedlings and managing plant growth. “When we heard how COVID was impacting other parts of the world, we decided to prepare ourselves before it came to Kiribati. We worked on our farms and gardens, growing as much fruit and vegetables as we could, including our traditional root crops. During the pandemic, we experienced a shortage of cargo from the bulk suppliers. However, because we prepared ourselves beforehand and could rely on our garden harvests to eat, I can honestly say that we were one of the more fortunate families. We had more than enough cassava for my family’s daily consumption, which lasted until imported goods started to arrive again.” Although Beretita was already doing farming and gardening with her husband before the pandemic, she was able to expand the variety and quantity of vegetables she grows thanks to the inputs and training she received from PIRAS. The project provided her with seeds, seedlings, hand tools, a wheelbarrow and shade cloth. She also learned how to use flakes scaled from rusty cans, mixed with dried leaves, grass clippings, yard trim, and food scraps to make compost for enriching the sandy island soil. In addition to further improving her household nutrition, she now sells the surplus produce, including watermelon, from her home, which provides her with additional income. Each of her watermelons sells for 100 Australian dollars (US$ 65) per kilo! This kind of crop diversification and increased production is helping islanders like Beretita build a more resilient future. “With all we have learned about sustainable agricultural practices, my husband and I are able to support our family with a good and healthy life. We eat from our garden and sell to our neighbours, earning enough each day to buy rice and other staples. It is very pleasing to us to see all that we have accomplished and that our hard work is paying off.” Launched in 2022 in collaboration between IFAD and the Australian Government, the Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus (PIRAS) Facility is a regional initiative that aims to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural island households. The programme supports food system and economic recovery by prioritizing food self-reliance, improving local nutrition and developing sustainable, equitable agricultural livelihood opportunities for rural communities in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. In Kiribati, PIRAS works in collaboration with the Atolls Food Future Project, implemented by Live & Learn Environmental Education, and focuses on increasing farm production, nutrition and climate resilience by providing farmers and gardeners with nutrition-sensitive seedlings and planting materials, labour-saving tools, and equipment. It trains them in the safe use and maintenance of water tanks, composting production and soil preparation, and liquid fertilizer production and application. |
| Size: | 7.82 MB; 5472 x 3648 pixels; 463 x 309 mm (print at 300 DPI); 1448 x 965 mm (screen at 96 DPI); |
| Show more details: | Barbara Gravelli |
| Copyright: | ©IFAD/Barbara Gravelli |
| Categories: | New from Asia and the Pacific |
Loading...
Loading...