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Rotuma Island Beautification Project: 2003 Adopt-a-village/ District Scheme Phase I of the LäjeRotuma Initiative [LRI] 2002 involved community visits, informing and discussing the Initiative’s plan of activities for the year. The community outreach also presented the opportunity for the islanders to discuss environmental issues of concern. There was indication from few of the communities who were not able to receive the LäjeRotuma team, that timing of the visits were not suitable for the village. In this phase, the proposed community resource conservation workshops will provide a different approach, thus, the Adopt-a-village or district Scheme. This is an opportunity for Rotuman communities living away from home to be involved in the Initiative, by adopting their own villages or districts on the island, in terms of sponsoring trainers to carry out workshops in their own village or district and coordinating with their island counterparts, the best time to carry out the community resource conservation workshops. The existing strong relations between the island community and their respective communities abroad, also provides the Initiative the opportunity to enhance the activities planned for Rotuma. This approach will reflect the trueness of such a community-based initiative, for the management and protection of its natural resources. A. Objectives: To promote the spirit of community conservation & involve students to participate in their communities in the environmental campaign to keep their villages clean and healthy. Actions: Islanders adopt their village by coordinating their own clean-ups, village beautification projects and activities that promote conservation & protection of the environment. Outcome: Environment-friendly community that supports actions protective of the natural resources. Description: Inter-village competition, as points are tallied when Health Inspector visits each participating village every 3 months to inspect. Records of effort for the 3 months are kept by the trained LäjeRotuma youth contact each village for inspection by the Health Inspector. This is to encourage villagers to adopt an environmental conscience daily, a bulletin board will be set up at Ahau, displaying news of the beautification project. Incentives will have to provided to keep the interest and motivation going. Partners: Health Inspector, District Officer, Rotuma Council, LäjeRotuma volunteer network Coordinated: LäjeRotuma Island Coordinator [Marseu Manueli] & Island Youth Trainers Costs: As incentives for villages to participate, funding available through the adoption scheme will support for incentives provided to the LäjeRotuma Village of the Month for every 3-monthly inspection. B. Objectives: To encourage community participation in conservation efforts and empower the trained Youths (Phase I) to facilitate and assist in such workshops. Actions: From interest expressed by villages or districts, to conduct workshops in their community, a team of Participatory Learning Action Trainers will be hosted by the village to conduct the community resource conservation workshops. Outcome: Provides information for the community to make informed decisions about the careful use of the island’s natural resources for a sustainable livelihood. Description: A 2-week workshop involves: visualizing resources & gathering information- traditional knowledge & history; understanding the community; concerns & opportunities- identifying problems & devising solutions; dreams & visions. Such community workshops are facilitated for the whole community to participate. Partners: Island Youth Trainers, World Wide Fund for Nature Coordinated: Island Coordinator, Rotuma Council Costs: For each community workshop, travel costs for trainers will be covered by donations(refer to LäjeRotuma Sponsorship form). The community will host the team of trainers during its 2-week workshop! Primary School Environmental Program 2003 The primary school program for Phase I 2002, was carried out by the teachers in their respective schools. Teachers used classroom time either during art and science class, for pupils to spend time creating their posters on themes specified by the Program. The poster competition program was run during the first school term and posters displayed during the Rotuma May Celebrations at Ahau Government Station (refer to LäjeRotuma Annual Report- http://www.hawaii.edu/oceanic/rotuma/os/lajereports/2002annualreport.htm) Evaluating the Primary School Poster Program, teachers felt that there is need for innovative programs with the students, on a regular and consistent basis to produce an effective impact on them. The initial poster program lacked the consistency in the schools. Teachers felt that pupils recognized the LäjeRotuma-initiated poster competition program, as art work. The objectives were not fulfilled entirely, that is to create the environmental awareness in the schools, thus, enhance the outreach program in the community. On the other-hand, the lack of resources to carry out programs in the Rotuma High School and the sufficient material in the curriculum about the environment, proposed a different approach for the high school students. Therefore, it is proposed that students will actively participate in the Beautification Project, in their respective villages or districts. I. Title of Project: LäjeRotuma Initiative – A mobile Environmental Education Resource Centre. II. Project Category: Environmental Marine Community Awareness and Development Program for Rotuma. III. Project Location: Rotuma Island- a 43sq.km volcanic island situated in the SW Pacific, about 465km N of Fiji. IV. Project Goal: To strengthen natural resource management, with particular emphasis on marine life and of the Rotuman community living on the island for the benefit of the current and future generations. V. LäjeRotuma Initiative-Mobile Resource Centre-Objectives:
VI. Project Target Group: The island community and schools. VII. LäjeRotuma Initiative Plan of Activities
2003:
VIII. Project Duration: February – December 2003 (this is an ongoing development program) IX. Beneficiaries of LäjeRotuma Initiative 2003: the island community. From experience with community outreach programs last phase, there is lack of environmental awareness at the community level. The schools Primary Poster competition Program last year provided an opportunity for the Initiative to further develop the program. The formal setting of such outreach programs is known to discourage villagers from participating in any way. As for the school component, teachers requested innovative educational tools such as role plays, field excursions which will be consistent in order, to capture the students’ imagination and attention, for the purpose of environmental education and awareness. The concept of a mobile Resource Centre is to allow villagers in their communities to visit the ‘tent’ in their own time when the mobile Resource Centre is set up in their community. It is known that establishing a fixed location would be a deterrent, for interested people due, to transportation problems around the island. X. LäjeRotuma Initiative 2003 has the
support of: XI. Items needed in a mobile Resource Centre;
Prepared by: LäjeRotuma Core Group |
