Kilikali Settlement, located in Nasinu outside of Suva, has been making significant strides in environmental consciousness and community empowerment.

At sixty years of age with an amputated leg, Viliame Umu saw Live and Learn’s Atoll Food Futures project as an opportunity for a healthy life for him and his family.

Viliame, originally from Muaikacuni, Moala in Lau, has been living in Kilikali for almost twenty years. He lives with his wife and son, who both go out to work most of the time while he stays home.

‘I’m glad that when this project came, I’m able to go out and work on our little farm, making me move around a lot nowadays,’ he said.

Viliame added that the project has paved a new way of living for his family.

‘We used to buy vegetables from the market but ever since this project reached our community, we have now planted and harvested from our own garden right in front of our home,’ he said.

‘A lot has changed in our family especially with the kind of meal we take now days; it’s healthier with less intake of canned foods with noodles, so that’s a positive way forward for us.’

With his condition, Viliame’s Food Cubes are in front of their home where it is accessible for the whole family. They plant chilies, tomatoes, spinach, eggplant and other leafy vegetables, which has helped increased their consumption of locally grown food.

‘Two years ago, we never thought we can plant around our compound as we have a small space. But luckily with this project, we now have a fair knowledge of what more we can do with a small space,’ he said.

‘We managed to plant our seedlings and grow more vegetables compared to those past years where we dread to do shopping at the market because the price was too high.’

‘We are glad that our community is chosen to be one of the communities in Fiji to be part of this project.’

Words by Luisa Qoilevu of Live & Learn Fiji.

Atoll Food Futures is an Australian aid initiative implemented by Live & Learn on behalf of the Australian Government.