Government is partnering with villagers of Navosa to help them identify ways of utilising their vast land resources so that they can improve their economic livelihoods.
The Integrated Human Resource Development Programme signed a memorandum of understanding with Korovou villagers in Nasikawa district on Monday committing to work with villagers over the next five years.
The MOU was reached after villagers agreed to be part of the Economic Opportunity and Employment Analysis using TREE – Training for Rural Economic Empowerment Methodology.
A workshop, which is a result of the MOU was conducted at the village from November 22 to 25.
The workshop was designed to aid villagers with ideas of using land to earn incomes that accumulatively will heighten national earnings.
Sixty-one of the Korovou villagers in the Navosa highlands who participated in the workshop were awarded certificates yesterday.
IHRDP western manager Mrs Ruseieli Mua said the workshop was an eye opener for villagers because they came to understand how they could contribute to their families’ economic well-being and government’s economy.
“More importantly we showed them there are alternatives community based business they can pursue, instead of engaging in the illegal drug trade as the province is commonly known for,” Mrs Mua said.
“It is all part of government’s initiative of giving an alternative from planting the illegal drug.”
Ms Mua said the people of the interior of Navosa like Korovou were disadvantaged because of the distance from urban centres and the lack of infrastructure developments in the area.
Ms Mua said more workshops were planned for Korovou Village in 2011 and this is being done so that villagers can set up community-based businesses like agriculture and livestock farming.
“Once their community business is stable Government will facilitate market outlets that will visit the villagers instead of them taking their products to the market,” Mrs Mua said.
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