Building community resilience: natural resource management – Tugeda Tude fo Tomoro (TTFT)

Building a network of community facilitators in the Solomon Islands. Photo: Bonney Corbin.

Solomon Islands

Partner: Live and Learn Environmental Education Solomon Islands

Funding source: AusAID Solomon Islands NGO Partnership Agreement

Issue: Logging, unsustainable use of natural resources and changes in land use are putting rural communities in the Solomon Islands under increasing pressure. Women are largely ‘invisible’ in current decision-making, within the home and community. This exclusion contributes to the social problems experienced by many communities in the Solomon Islands because it means that natural resource management does not reflect women’s knowledge or a long-term perspective about sustainability.

Outline: This large five-year project supports sustainable natural resource management and livelihoods with rural communities impacted by logging. Increasing women’s voice in decision-making and alternative livelihood options are key to developing more sustainable management practices that meet the needs of the whole community. This year’s activities have focused on working through community facilitators in four provinces to develop women’s savings clubs and provide financial literacy training. Managed solely by women, these clubs help members to mobilise resources to invest in their initiatives and provide experience in decision-making, financial management, budgeting and record keeping.

Impact: This year, 11 Women’s Savings Clubs have been established. Women members have reported increased confidence in managing money as well as increased decision-making within the home regarding how income is spent. TTFT aims to increase the number of savings clubs to 50 by the end of next year.

Her Story: Mrs Sally Abe, Solomon Islands

“By listening to a Community Facilitator encouraging us women to ‘Make money with your own hands’ I decided to plant two plots of vegetables (pac choy). This initiative is really good because it can provide nutritious food for my children.

The best part of the experience was when I see that the pac choys were growing very healthy, it makes me happy. I’m also selling it in the village and sometimes took it to Papatura resort (when there is transport availability). I also get orders from people. The money gained from my sales is used to pay for my children’s school fees.

Some things that helped make this example possible: My husband is being very supportive, he buys me the seeds I needed. He attended a lot of workshops so he knows the importance of supporting women. Now that there is a venue for marketing, it really helps too.”

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