Centre helps women build confidence, improve skill set

The Almanah Hope Centre is dedicated to helping marginalised women improve their lives through empowerment and capacity-building programs. Their core program, ‘Confident Woman’, teaches essential personal development and life skills and is complemented by short technical courses offered several times a year. Through these training programs, the centre is helping women build a strong foundation to enhance their personal, social and economic wellbeing.

Photo credit: Lifebread Stay Connected Foundation Fiji

The centre is the training arm of Lifebread Stay Connected Foundation Fiji, which was established in 2015 to empower marginalised women and girls, especially those from rural communities and peri-urban informal settlements. It is based in Tagaloli, midway between Lautoka City and Ba Town in the western part of Viti Levu, Fiji.

In early 2023, the foundation’s efforts in empowering marginalised women received a significant boost with a 2-year grant from Women’s Fund Fiji. The grant included capacity-building support, including gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) training. This has enabled the foundation to extend the impact of their work and guide improvements in the ongoing training programs.

Since the centre’s establishment, about 460 people with diverse backgrounds have graduated from the training programs. Many graduates have gone on to pursue further education, find employment, start a business or become involved in community work – achievements that are a testament to the programs’ success. About 16 women graduates have found the confidence to leave abusive relationships, while others have bravely shared their experiences during the training. The program has also empowered widows to pursue income-generating activities, reducing their dependency on relatives or welfare payments. Single mothers and older women have also completed the programs, gaining the confidence to improve the overall quality of their lives.

Building confidence, improving lives

The ‘Confident Woman’ program is designed to empower women from all backgrounds, helping them to embrace their strengths, build self-esteem and improve their lives. The program is targeted at women who may be facing challenges such as domestic violence, unemployment or underemployment, and adverse climate impacts. It is a 4-week program currently conducted 4 times a year and consists of 7 modules: Personal Development, Developing the Mind, Change Management, Gender Awareness and Gender-Based Violence, Strengthening Women’s Leadership, Family Values and Parenting, and Personal Financial Literacy.

The program has evolved over the years. It was introduced in 2018 as an 18-week program, with sessions held one day per week. After the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), during which the centre struggled to hold training sessions, the program was redesigned to span 6 weeks, with sessions running for 4 half-days per week. This change significantly reduced the dropout rate. In mid-2024, the program was reviewed again to remove repetition in content and further condensed to 4 weeks, with sessions held 4 days per week.

While reducing the program duration has improved dropout and attendance rates, other factors also play a role. Dorinda Work, the foundation’s executive director, said family support was crucial to ensure the participants attended all the sessions and did not drop out of the program. She shared that some women dropped out because of a lack of support or active resistance from their family members.

‘Some of the women don’t
have the support of family.
If the family doesn’t support
them, they’re not able to
complete the training.’

Dorinda Work,
LSCF Executive Director

Raising awareness about personal development is also important. Women from low-income backgrounds often prioritise skills training or household responsibilities over their personal development. However, more women have shown interest in joining as the program’s visibility has grown.

Post-training support is also essential to ensure that graduates continue practising the skills they have learned and are able to maintain the positive changes in their lives. The centre has an alumni group on Facebook for peer learning, support, and sharing information about training courses and job opportunities.

The centre is working on increasing the participation of women from low-income and remote areas. Participants are transported between the centre and Lautoka in a 13-seater minibus that was provided by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Protection. They also help participants living far away by reimbursing their bus fares. Recently, the centre built 2 self-contained accommodation units to provide safe and comfortable housing for women travelling from distant places to attend the training.

After completing the GEDSI training, they are also working on enrolling more women with disabilities in the training programs. Earlier this year, they hired a sign language interpreter to accommodate 5 women with hearing impairments who had enrolled in the ‘Confident Woman’ program. However, they recognise the need to upgrade the centre’s facilities to improve inclusivity and extend the training to a broader spectrum of disabled women. They also plan to reach out to organisations of persons with disabilities to support them in accommodating members of their community.

With the funding support they received, the centre was able to increase the frequency of the ‘Confident Woman’ program, running 3 cycles in 2023 and 4 cycles in 2024. This allowed them to reach and support more vulnerable women. Over the past 2 years, more than 100 women have graduated from the program.

Partnerships expand training opportunities

To complement their in-house women’s empowerment program, the centre has forged partnerships with other organisations to offer a diverse range of short technical courses that are open to everyone.

In 2023, they partnered with the Ba Women’s Forum, which has qualified trainers and appropriate facilities and equipment to provide basic and advanced training in computer literacy, sewing and baking. The centre supports participants by paying for their tuition fees and providing round-trip bus fares from Lautoka, which is about a 30-minute drive from Ba. This partnership has enabled the centre to build their profile among women in the Lautoka–Ba corridor. It is also a cost-effective way for them to offer a wider variety of training programs to more people. The Ba Women’s Forum has also benefitted from this arrangement as it maximises the use of their training facilities.

The centre has also collaborated with the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises to conduct basic business management training. This includes workshops on topics such as ‘Generating Your Business Idea’ and ‘Starting Your Business’. The ministry also held a workshop to help the participants apply for small business grants from the ministry. During these workshops, the centre also invites other organisations – such as the Cane Farmers’ Co-operative Savings & Loans Association Limited, Fiji Revenue & Customs Service, and SOLE Fintech – to share information about their services.

Photo credit: Lifebread Stay Connected Foundation Fiji

Several times a year, the centre hosts a week-long craft skills training program. This program, run by the Pacific Women’s Economic Empowerment Program, covers a range of skills including fabric art, contemporary weaving, sewing and jewellery-making.

The centre is also working with other non-profit organisations such as Building Innate Resilience Through Hearts (BIRTH) Fiji, Fiji Council of Social Services and Solo Mums Project to receive referrals for participants.

Through these diverse partnerships, the centre has increased their visibility and now offers a wider variety of short courses to more women. In the past 2 years, about 160 people with diverse backgrounds have completed these courses.

Preparing for the next phase

After facing challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation has successfully resumed their activities to support marginalised women with diverse backgrounds. Over the past 2 years, they have focused on improving and expanding their training programs, reaching more than 250 women. As they prepare for the next phase of their work, they have created their first 5-year strategic plan to guide their activities. One of their goals is to formalise their current partnerships and build new ones to reach more women and offer more training opportunities. They also plan to launch a website to boost their online presence, complementing their current Facebook page. By continuing to adapt and innovate, they aim to make a lasting impact on the lives of the women they support.

About the project

Women’s Fund Fiji provides sustainability grants to support programs and projects that enhance gender equality in Fiji. In February 2023, Lifebread Stay Connected Foundation Fiji received a grant to support their work under the Fund’s thematic area ‘Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG)’. This project is funded by the Equality Fund.