For the past three weeks, the Markets for Change (M4C) Project team has been actively delivering financial and business empowerment workshops to vendors across seven municipal markets in Fiji’s Western Division: Sigatoka, Nadi, Namaka, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua, and Rakiraki. These activities, as part of the M4C project, focused on grants proposal writing, facilitating a market business fair and conducting a monitoring exercise, ensuring vendors received the necessary support to enhance their businesses.

Each municipal market hosted a two-day programme, allowing vendors to participate actively in a comprehensive grants training, jointly facilitated by the M4C Project and the GEF Small Grants Project. The workshops featured guest speakers from Fiji Development Bank and Merchant Finance, who shared valuable insights on financial management, business expansion, and available funding opportunities. 

A notable moment during the workshops was the virtual participation of successful businesswoman Sofia Talei from the Suva Municipal Market, who shared her learnings during the Grants workshop. Ms Sofia Talei is the President of the newly established Suva Market Women’s Inspiring Cooperative Limited. Ms Talei shared her experience and business journey to the market vendors in the seven municipal market as part of peer-to-peer learning for business growth. 

“We are happy that Sofi from the Suva Market was able to share how she formed the Suva Market Cooperative for the women market vendors. The Ba women market vendors are also planning to form a cooperative, and Sofi’s session today really motivated us to go and register with the Department of Cooperative. This initiative will really boost our market business as we will learn as a group and share ideas for business growth.” Ms Lusiana Bulu, President of the Ba Market Vendors Association.

A major highlight of the initiative was the market business fair, which brought together key financial institutions and government agencies. Representatives from Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Fiji Development Bank (FDB), Fijian Holdings Unit Trust, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI), Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC), Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF), Merchant Finance, and the Ministry of Justice were present, providing market vendors with expert guidance on financial services, investment options, and legal requirements.

We hardly find the time to go and enquire with the service providers. Today, i am happy that Ministry of justice is in the market, and i was able to register my business.” Mereseini Lutu, Namaka Market Vendor