Powering up production

Electricity is always one of the first things to go in a natural disaster, but that won’t be a problem anymore for Women in Business.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Canada Fund, a stand-alone generator has been bought and sent to Women in Business for their processing site at Nu’u.

Executive director Adimaimalaga Tafuna’i says when Tropical Cyclone Evan struck in December, the organisation was trying to finish off two export orders – one for organic virgin coconut oil for The Body Shop UK and the other was dried bananas for All Good Bananas in New Zealand.

“We had to hire a generator to finish these orders which was expensive but necessary. But now the Canada Fund has once again come through and assisted us.”

Canada Fund purchased and sent the generator at a cost of SAT41,427.28. It was being installed last week by an electrician at the Nu’u site.

“After talking with the great people at the Canada Fund,” says Tafuna’i, “they offered to buy Women in Business a generator to make sure we could maintain production and our markets during power outages, and especially in times of natural disasters.

“We are extremely grateful for this thoughtful donation. Now that we are harvesting coconuts and bananas is more regular volumes since the cyclone, we know that we will be able maintain production even if the power has been disrupted.”

Tafuna’i says the generator also helps to supply a constant income to Women in Business farmers because the Nu’u processing site uses coconuts and misiluki bananas bought from certified organic farmers all over Upolu and Savai’i.

She added that in 1995 the Canada Fund also funded the setting up of the virgin coconut oil project and bought the organisation’s first two vehicles, first office desk and first computer. “I think that shows a great history between us and they even funded the beginning of our regional project.”