Women's community groups establishing home gardens are making a positive impact in disaster recovery. The efforts of several groups were recognised at a women’s home garden awards program, held on 1 September, under a COVID-19 and Hunga-Tonga, Hunga-Ha’apai response and recovery program.

Australian High Commissioner H.E. Rachel Moore presented certificates to five women from each community group in Tongatapu:

• Fe'ofa'aki 'a Kakau Fakamaileua
• Mapelu - Nima Fietokoni 'o Mapelu Women Group
• Fatumu - Tu'akolo Women Group
• Lapaha - Nahakalau Women Group
• Kolonga - Lotopoha Women Group

She said the program aiimed to strengthen national and household food and nutrition security, resilience and livelihoods affected by COVID-19 and by the natural disasters.

“The benefits of joining this program are numerous, many of you can earn livelihoods from the harvests of your gardens, you provide essential nutrition for the healthy development of your children and family members.

“The knowledge you have acquired over the season can help others establish their own home gardens. You all are a shining example of what women can accomplish in building resilient communities.”

Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility

The recovery program is supported by the Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility (PIRAS), a regional program that is co-financed by the Australian Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

“PIRAS was created to do more than just help rural households increase agricultural production and earn more. It was also a tool to promote gender equality, inclusiveness and build the capacity of local organizations and the communities”, she said.

Reaching most affected

Agricultural Development Officer from MORDI Tonga, Tevita Tukia, commended the PIRAS Facility, which was created to help rural small holder farmers across the Pacific recover from the impacts of COVID-19.

“Due to the disaster we experienced in January the program had reached 62 of the most impacted from the disaster across Tongatapu, ‘Eua and Ha’apai.

“There were interventions for tax allotments that targeted cluster farmers, but today we choose to highlight the intervention of home gardens that benefited women and girls,” he said..

“The services provided by PIRAS to the communities came directly at the heels of response efforts to the disaster. This saved many families from food insecurity and effects of inflation on foods.”

He said the program had provided interventions for these women’s nurseries, including land preparation, fencing materials, providing quality planting materials and seeds, providing labour saving tools and technical training.

“You can see here today the positive impact of the program and its reach to a few of these groups in Tongatapu alone, imagine the impact it has had for all three island groups in total. We all here want to convey our deepest gratitude for the support provided by the Australian Government in collaboration with IFAD.”

The women groups were presented with gardening tools from Fulanowa (Fula Corp.) a Japanese organic cotton company.

Madoka Nakasone a representative from Fula Corp. commended the success of achieving the aims of the important program.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Seu’ula Johansson Fua and Lady Nuku of Kolonga also attended.