Empowering Women and Youth in Business 

The Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) is a membership-based local organisation that represents the interests of businesses and companies in Kiribati.   

In Kiribati, there is a lack of training and mentorship to cultivate and nurture new businesses, and many businesses close less than one year after opening. Women entrepreneurs have the additional barrier of having less access finance to fund their businesses in comparison to men.  

This project will provide women and youth with business skills in order to strengthen and enhance entrepreneurship in Kiribati. The project will also fund the upgrade of the toilet facility at the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce to be female-friendly.   

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver business training for 15-20 people every week for five months
• improve the toilet facilities at the Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry by adding a door and implementing a flushing system.  

"YES I CAN" Program

Kiribati Rugby promotes healthy lifestyle choices and specifically targets women and people living with disabilities.  By utilising the policies, guidelines and structure already developed to successfully launch the Kiribati Rugby Schools Sports Program (KRSSP), Kiribati Rugby will launch the “YES, I CAN” campaign to reduce perceived cultural, gender and physical barriers in Kiribati that prevent participation in organised sport and outdoor activities. 

As a result, young girls that have been introduced to sport through the KRSSP will have role models and an avenue to continue playing sport at senior levels.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will: 

• deliver a volunteer workshop to at least 20 volunteers on child protection policies and the “YES I CAN” program
• introduce the program to communities via village meetings, train-the-trainer sessions, social media and traditional media 
• train support staff and volunteers – including coaches and referees – using online and self-evaluation processes 
• coordinate an inter-community rugby tournament for women, including women living with disability 

The Kiribati Men's Behaviour Change  

In Kiribati, around 67 per cent of women and girls between 15-49 years of age have experienced physical, emotional, and sexual violence.  

The Kiribati Men's Behaviour Change (KMBC) program is coordinated by the Women’s Development Division within the Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports, and Social Affairs. KMBC supports male perpetrators of violence to become advocates, champions, and role models to end violence against women and girls.  

This program will empower men through training and in-depth group discussion on gender, human rights, negative social norms, and the impact of abuse on themselves and their loved ones.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• deliver training to 20 KMBC members, so they can become facilitators for the KMBC program   
• deliver outreach training to men on becoming advocates and male champions on South Tarawa 
• host quarterly monitoring meetings
• deliver trainings and refresher trainings on ending violence against women and girls. 

Corporate Online Communications and Engagement Platforms

Eutan Tarawa Council (ETC) is the local government representing North Tarawa, Kiribati. 

Online information and services for North Tarawa are very limited. A professional website, social media platforms and corporate brand will enable Eutan Tarawa Council to communicate with residents, as well as national and international audiences. 

• With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:develop a brand and website strategy via an online workshop
• develop a branding package, including logo, brand marks, colours, typography, collateral and brand guidelines
• design and build a WordPress website with blog integration
• create an ETC Facebook page.

Collecting Data to a Build Customer Relationship System  

The Kiribati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) supports small businesses and the private sector to prosper with access to finance, capacity building and business support. 

In order to develop an outreach program, KCCI needs to collect accurate data by physically visiting all business across 20 islands in Kiribati. 

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• develop and conduct an outreach program, including a welcome pack and survey
• upload data into a customer relationship management system
• use the data to develop business support programs.

 Kiribati Rugby Health and Wellbeing, School Sports Program  

The Kiribati Rugby School Sports Program (KRSSP) is a partnership between schools, governments, local and international bodies to deliver a comprehensive health and well-being program that all I-Kiribas can access. KRSSP aims to develop participant’s physical, psychological, social, and cognitive skills to build lifelong confidence and capability.  

KRSSP has trained local volunteers to implement KRSSP, however, school closures and bans on sporting events during the COVID-19 pandemic have severely hindered awareness of the program.   

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will:

• introduce the program to schools, teachers and parents via townhall meetings and school visits 
• re-enroll at least 80 per cent of previous KRSSP participants, 100 new participants, and six schools to the program, and sign up at least 20 community members to volunteer
• train support staff and volunteers using recorded matches, training sessions and fitness drills, to enable eight coaches, eight referees and four officials to achieve international 'World Rugby' qualifications. 

Kiribati Rugby school sports program

Kiribati Rugby will work to improve Kiribatians’ health and lifestyle by providing quality sport, education, and employment opportunities.

Sport and physical activity have a positive influence on children’s health, building physical, psychological, social and cognitive skills. Kiribati Rugby has achieved its goal of gaining membership to the World Rugby Union Oceania and is now working towards maintaining a comprehensive school sports program. The aim of the program is to increase interest and participation in sport, promote a healthy lifestyle, and open pathways and employment opportunities.

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will: 

• introduce the school sports program to schools, teachers and parents via school communications and community meetings
• register students, schools and family members in the program
• train support staff and volunteers using online and self-evaluation processes
• purchase three laptops, a camera and associated equipment to record matches, training sessions and fitness drills to be distributed to players, coaches, referees and volunteers.

Kiribati Rugby intends to remain a member of World Rugby Union Oceania by meeting its annual requirements in policies including diversity and inclusion. The program will create a male, female and mixed rugby team in each school with no cost to participants, ensuring that lower economic students have the opportunity to participate.

Women's Conference on gender-based violence, COVID-19 and CEDAW obligations 

The Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre will host a conference to build the capacity of women to understand gender-based violence and women’s issues in Kiribati, including women living with a disability and the LGBTQI+ community.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, the project will: 

• create a working group with key women’s group stakeholders to plan the conference's program, objectives and target audience 
• purchase a computer to assist with conference preparation and delivery 
• create a radio campaign and resources about services provided by Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre 
• host a one day conference for 100 participants. 

‍Participants will improve their understanding of ‍gender-based violence and its root-causes, its link to COVID-19 and awareness of Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre services. They will also understand Kiribati's obligations under the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination and provide feedback on its concluding remarks.  

Participants will have the opportunity to learn and discuss gende- based violence and women's issues in a constructive dialogue. This conference will form the basis for ongoing connection between non-government organisations in Kiribati. 

Strengthening food security on Kiritimati Island 

The Kirimati Urban Council will support the establishment of a garden plot and nursery to grow food crops on Kiritimati Island. It will provide training for community members to improve their agricultural skills, boost food security and improve household earning capacity. 

Kiribati consists of 33 atolls across the Pacific Ocean. The Kiritimati Islands form the largest coral atoll in the world and have limited land available for growing food. Food security and nutrition are urgent issues, due to climate change impacts, increasing population and cargo shortages.  

With the support of the Australian Volunteers Program Impact Fund, this project will: 

• conduct a training workshop on atoll agriculture including crop husbandry and composting 
• establish a garden plot and nursery for the production and distribution of food crops 
• purchase seeds and gardening tools, and 
• monitor and evaluate the progress of the garden plot. 

This project will improve the capacity and skills of church groups, non-government organisations, women and families to grow vegetable and food crops. It will improve the availability of nutritious food for communities. It will also enhance the earning capacity of households by selling surplus crops. Improving food security will help Kiribati communities to be more resilient to natural disasters and climate change impacts. 

Community outreach program on COVID-19 and domestic violence and gender-based violence

The Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre will visit Kiribati’s two big islands and consult with women and children about preparedness for COVID-19, and domestic violence and gender-based violence issues.