EU-USP GCCA+ SUPA capacity training in Kiribati
The University of the South Pacific (USP) component of the European Union funded Global Climate Change Alliance plus Scaling Up Pacific Adaptation (EU GCCA+ SUPA) project facilitated a two week training on island strategic planning at Beru Island in South Kiribati.
USP-EU GCCA+ SUPA research community officer (RCO) Alice Tekaieti-Tekena said the training aimed at assisting and supporting the Beru stakeholders in developing strategic plans to address situational issues within the work areas and the communities.
“One of the outcomes of this SUPA project is to help the island council build their capacity on island development plans. The training will build the capacity of the participants in climate change and (DRM) issues and resolutions that are locally-oriented and guided,” Ms Tekaieti-Tekena said.
She said Beru participants have taken lead and ownership of the strategic plans developed in the training.
Participants at the two week training were from the island council, government ministerial representatives, faith based organisations, women and youth representatives, people with disability representatives, women parliament representatives and local representatives.
Training participant, Timon Ribanti said the SUPA training empowered him to explore other funding opportunities and to collaborate with other stakeholders on the island with experience and knowledge sharing.
Mr Ribanti is a Fisheries Assistant or the Beru Island Council at the Fisheries Division.
“After the training I was empowered to assist the communities in applying for the Australian AID DFAT project funding assistance for a fishing boat and other necessary needs for food security,” says Mr Ribanti.
Mr Ribanti was among the 47 participants who took advantage of the training that was facilitated by the SUPA RCO and representatives from the Kiribati’s Ministries of Justice and Fisheries, Office of Te Beretitenti’s Climate Change Unit and the Kiribati Local Association (KiLGA Kiribati).
The facilitators took a trip to Beru and had a face to face session in the maneaba (meeting house) and a session at the Hiram Bigham High School campus where knowledge sharing and open discussions were guided and monitored by the trained facilitators.