Local Mamas Stir Up Business Dreams
May 14, 2025 10:03 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Doddy Morris.
Around 150 women from urban areas of Port Vila are currently participating in a food safety and food processing training course at the Vanuatu Institute of Technology (VIT) Tourism Kitchen.
The training, which began on Monday, 12 May, is part of a project supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and coordinated by the Department of Industry. The Food processing training is part of the Food Safety training carried out in December 2024.
The initiative aims to empower local women by equipping them with new skills to process, package, and market their food products more effectively. By enhancing the quality and presentation of their goods, participants are expected to increase their income and expand their small businesses.
Cohort 5 of the project beneficiaries in Port Vila began this week with the final part of their Food Processing, Preservation and Packaging training. This round of training is scheduled to conclude next week with a certificate awards event for all training cohorts. The event will also feature a major savory and tasting session, where a wide variety of processed products will be displayed and sold.
With the leadership and support of the Department of Industry (DoI), the next step for Port Vila project beneficiaries, following the awards ceremony, is participation in the upcoming “Vanuatu Made” event, scheduled to take place in four months. This will give participants the opportunity to further showcase their skills and market their new products to the wider public.
Shirley John, a participant from Tanna Island, told the Daily Post that she joined the training to improve her cooking skills and benefit from new knowledge.
“I have learned a lot in this training—things I didn’t know before,” she said. “I’ve learned how to package fruits and food properly, how to dry food into flour, chips, and even how to turn fruits into juice and popsicles.
“This will help me a lot. I’ve also learned how to make pickles and mix fruits that can be added to meals, as well as how to make syrup to use with pancakes.”
Another participant, Filo Samson from Mele Village, said it was a privilege to attend the food safety and processing training to upgrade her cooking skills—especially for making items normally bought in shops.
“I’ve never attended training like this before,” she said. “I may have done others, but they weren’t as detailed. We’ve learned so much here. I know it will help us start a business or help other mothers learn from us.
“My message to other women is: if you hear about a training like this, make the effort to attend—it can really help you learn how to cook and grow your business.”
One of the younger participants, Deborah Edouard from Pango Village, told the Daily Post she learned how to make chips from banana and taro, mayonnaise, sauces, and how to dry leaves using a machine to make tea.
“After this training, I’m thinking of starting a small business to show what I’ve learned,” she said.
The Food Processing, Preservation, and Packaging training is part of the COVID-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project, funded by the ADB and executed in Vanuatu through the Vanuatu Project Management Unit (VPMU). The food processing and business entrepreneurship components are implemented by the DoI.
On Monday, 19 May, the 150 participants will receive their certificates at Epauto Hall. Products they have developed during the training will also be showcased and made available for sale.
