Date: 30 Apr 2025
Participants of the Vakatawa Noke Governance Training engaged in a group discussion.
Government of Fiji through the Office of the Prime Minister, Ministry of Rural & Maritime Development and Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) are taking a leading role in strengthening leadership and governance in informal settlements through the Vakatawa Noke Governance Training, held from April 23–25, 2025 at the Suva Civic Centre.
This training marks the second cohort under the Vakatawa Noke Governance initiative, following the successful pilot conducted earlier this year with the Kalekana and Manikoso Community Councils. It brought together community leaders, government officials and development partners to equip informal settlements with the leadership skills, governance knowledge and networks they need to drive their own development.
Building on the pilot, which set the foundation for this second cohort, the training has expanded to include 17 additional informal settlements in the greater Suva area.
The Vakatawa Noke Project was initiated by the Rewa District Council of Social Services (DCOSS), which aimed to better understand the emerging issues facing Melanesian informal settlements across the Greater Suva area. Partnering with the Office of the Prime Minister through the Assistant Minister, Hon. Sakiusa Tubuna, they secured funding to carry out a comprehensive survey across 21 settlements.
Hon. Sakiusa Tubuna emphasized the importance of this initiative, highlighting the strong partnership between the Prime Minister’s Office and the Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS).
“We had a vision, a strategy to uplift the targeted communities by establishing committees. I urge committees to have regular meetings, document minutes and follow through. Let’s get ourselves organised,” he said.
Hon. Tubuna reaffirmed the government’s commitment to uplifting grassroots communities and promoting genuine equality.
The survey findings presented in mid-2023, identified major challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, land tenure issues, weak leadership and social cohesion.
In response, the Vakatawa Noke Taskforce was formed under the leadership of the Commissioner of Central Division to coordinate multi-stakeholder solutions.
Fiji Council of Social Services (FCOSS) Executive Director, Vani Catanasiga, explained that the taskforce developed an intervention addressing these challenges.
“One of the key outcomes of the taskforce was the creation of Community Governance Mechanisms, which propose a community council structure to address issues such as crime prevention, women’s representation, disability inclusion and resilience to climate change and disasters,” Catanasiga said.
Balance of Power (BOP), an Australian-supported initiative aimed at promoting women’s leadership and inclusive governance, has been instrumental in supporting the delivery of this training.
BOP Fiji Country Manager, Josaia Osborne, explained that the training aligns with BOP’s mission of strengthening inclusive leadership at the grassroots level.
“It’s not just about building governance structures, it’s about ensuring that women are part of decision-making tables from the very beginning,” Osborne said.
He added that BOP views the Vakatawa Noke initiative as an opportunity to support the efforts of the Rewa DCOSS, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Vakatawa Noke Taskforce, FCOSS and various government partners, ensuring that solutions are community-driven, and that women’s leadership is embedded into governance structures.
“For us at BOP, supporting this initiative helps legitimize women’s leadership while empowering communities to drive their own development,” Osborne said.
Australian High Commission Suva First Secretary – Development, Linda Chen, also praised the initiative during her speech at the official opening of the training.
“Progress requires active participation from all levels in the community and government. It’s wonderful that this training brings everybody together. Representation and participation are key to good governance. To ensure decision-making mechanisms and institutions deliver benefits equally to all citizens, including marginalized groups, these processes must be informed by their voices,” Chen said.
She added that Australia’s development partnership with Fiji continues to focus on supporting gender equality through initiatives like this.
In addition, government ministries such as Health, Women and Children, Water Authority of Fiji, Multi-Ethnic Affairs and the Fiji Police Force participated, providing practical guidance on accessing services and forming partnerships.
Participants also engaged in action planning and budget drafting exercises, empowering them to better advocate for their community’s needs.
The Vakatawa Noke Governance Training stands as a powerful example of how partnerships between government, civil society, and development partners can foster resilient, inclusive, and community-led governance across Fiji.
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