Y-Adapt inspires Fiji volunteers to tackle climate impacts head-on

By Soneel Ram, IFRC, Fiji

(This is an abridged version of a photo story by Soneel Ram and edited by Rachel Punitha that ran on the IFRC Exposure website on Monday.)

“Strange,” Seru Ramakita said tersely. “The weather at this time of the year should be dry and sunny. Instead it is wet and cold.”

Seru, 61, was born and raised in the village of Navuevu – home to 300 people and a two-hour drive from the Fiji capital, Suva.

“As a result of the continuous rain, we are now experiencing flooding [for] the first time in 50 years.”

The midday sun is blanketed by the dark clouds as the rustle of coconut leaves brings back memories, some familiar, some new – such as the recent flooding.

It has affected the villagers’ root crops such as cassava, which end up underwater, and “we have no choice but to move our farm to higher ground,” Seru adds.

His fellow Navuevu resident, Robin Kaiwalu, 33, was inspired to become a Red Cross volunteer after joining the Y-Adapt programme and has now been volunteering for five months.

“My whole plantation was underwater,” he says. “All my crops are damaged, including plantain, cassava, and taro. Not only do we depend on this for food but we also sell it as a source of income.”

‘Y-Adapt stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against climate change, demonstrating youth empowerment and collective action’

At least 60 local youngsters have participated in Y-Adapt. Most are unemployed or have dropped out of school; some are pursuing vocational studies while others have found employment in hotels or are still seeking jobs.

The Fiji Red Cross Society, with support from Japanese Red Cross and the IFRC, has been able to train young volunteers in Navuevu and equip them with the knowledge, skills and resources to address the issue of flooding in the village.

Through collective action and collaboration, they leverage ideas, skills, and perspectives to tackle the climate challenges facing the islands effectively.

For example, they organized a clean-up on local beaches and in the village: enlisting assistance from hotels, the police, the local council, disability associations, and other villagers, they collected more than 150kg of rubbish.

“After consultations with the village head and the elders, we came to the conclusion that we needed to construct rubbish bins to help with proper disposal of rubbish,” says Robin.

“This way the rubbish would not block the drains, and the next time it rains the water will not overflow into the village.”

Seru adds: “We are very grateful and appreciative to the Fiji Red Cross for implementing this programme in our village.”

The tremendous support of the community, particularly the families of the youth participants, has been instrumental in driving the success of Y-Adapt in Navuevu.

“Y-Adapt stands as a beacon of hope and progress in the fight against climate change, demonstrating youth empowerment and collective action in creating sustainable and resilient communities,” says Robin.

“For now, we will continue to plant our crops on higher grounds, and another goal is to set up an evacuation centre for the village so that when it floods families are able to seek shelter.”

Seru (left) explains his crops and the impact climate-related floods have on them to Robin (right) and other Red Cross volunteers, many of whom have been galvanized by the Y-Adapt programme to tackle climate change head-on (Photo: Kurt Petersen/Petersen Fotography-IFRC)