The Poverty Monitoring Unit within the Prime Minister’s Office held a workshop recently in Vanua Levu to address community inclusiveness in their work.
The Unit carried out the two weeks Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) research workshop in the Natewa and Tunuloa District in Eastern Vanua Levu from the 18th to the 21st of November 2013.
“The PLA research workshop is an approach, which seeks to enable those with smaller, less dominant voices, to be heard and to take control over decisions, which affect their lives. It is a process of learning from/with and by the community of using a set of tools, methods, techniques and exercises to understand the needs, problems and concerns of people, leading to concrete action” said Mr Akini Qauqau from the Unit.
The two days PLA research workshop that was conducted at Vusaratu village saw the active participation of villagers from Buca, Dawa, Vusaratu, Natewa and Vusasivo villages all within the Natewa district.
“This is an approach, which seeks to enable those with smaller, less dominant voices, to be heard and to take control over decisions, which affect their lives. People know their own issues better than outsiders as they are aware of what needs to be done in their villages so working with them can lead to sustainable development”, Qauqau said.
In the final two days, another PLA research workshop was conducted in Wailevu village and attended by villagers from Karoko, Kanakana, Muana, Nailou, Naqaravatu and, Navidi and Wailevu.
After the PLA research workshops, the team then went through the task of compiling all the evidences gathered from these villagers, then submitted them to the Heads of Department (HOD) meeting that was held in the Provincial Administrators office in Savusavu.
The Heads of Department then gave their input on what actions to take regarding the issues raised by the villagers and decided to incorporate them into their action plans for the coming year.
The Poverty Monitoring Unit (PMU) of the Prime Minister’s Office will be conducting another similar exercise in the Wailevu District of Cakaudrove from the 16th of December to 20th of December where 27 villagers will be represented.
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