Pacific feminist solidarity campaign
Donation protected
CAMPAIGN UPDATE:
Up to Dec, the campaign for the DIVA LBT housing project raised 2000 AUD. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Every little bit helps. These funds have gone to the housing project.
This Go Fund Me platform is now being used to raise funds for DIVA's Cyclone Yasa relief work.
On 17 Dec. Cyclone Yasa, a category 5 cyclone hit Fiji. This is one more disaster on top of Cyclone Harold in April, and COVID19. This, all while the memories and damage from Cyclone Winston (another category 5 storm) are still fresh from 2016.
DIVA'S ONGOING RELIEF WORK
Since the onset of COVID19 and Cyclone Harold, DIVA for Equality has focused on solidarity aid in Fiji, working materially and structurally with DIVA networks across Fiji.
The COVID19 national lockdown and the economic downturn due to border closures has drastically affected members of DIVA networks because most are unemployed, in casual and precarious work. For thousands, paid work has slowed down or stopped. Some are on temporary lay-offs, hours are drastically cut, or worst of all, they have been told they have been terminated from employment, permanently.
In April 2020, Tropical Cyclone Harold exacerbated the situation, with many in the network already living in poor and unsafe housing, now with added damage.
Now, Cyclone Yasa. Prior to the Cyclone, DIVA was quick to connect and support Cyclone preparations across their networks.
DIVA are working hard to find multiple ways to aid the most urgent cases.
DIVA are posting updates from across their networks via their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DIVAFiji
THE DIVA LBT HOUSING PROJECT
A member of the DIVA lesbian, bisexual and trans-masculine network is living and caring for an elderly and partially bedridden mother in one of the poorest informal settlements in Suva. The conditions for this LBT led family in their home is unsafe and insecure. They share the tiny lean-to home constructed of old discarded materials with 4 other families, and live in 1 room. The four It sits on the edge of a mangrove swamp. Photos of the property demonstrate the unsafe, unsanitary conditions.
DIVA does not just want to repair the home. That is a band-aid solution as water floods the home almost weekly from mangrove tidal movement and regular king tides, and is even more unsafe when cyclones come. Often the elderly mother is left alone in the home overnight on an elevated bed in the single dry corner, while the LBT woman moves to a temporary overnight shelter until the water recedes.
There is a wider kinship issue of longterm discrimination, stigma and violence, that DIVA want to help to move this small family into a new 1 room, cyclone proof house (to be built in 4 weeks by 5 DIVA LBT women builders trained through an earlier project with Habitat for Humanity Fiji, Australia Pacific Training Coalition and funded by Asia Development Bank).
DIVA for Equality are liaising with local landowners for a small piece of leased land on which to build the home, which will cost around $1,000 FJD. With your help, for the first time, this LBT person and mother will have a safe, secure home from which they cannot be removed.
Total funds needed for this urgent pilot project is $14,000 FJD (approx. 10,000 AUD).
Funds will pay for a small cyclone 5 proof house, toilet and bathroom, and costs for a small plot of formally leased land in a better situated and negotiated informal settlement in Suva.
Photos showing the state of the current home are below:
Learn more about the solidarity aid work in response to COVID19 through a range of articles below:
A CALL TO ACTION : Fiji Women, Poverty, Mutual Aid Networks and COVID19: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/a-call-to-action-fiji-women-poverty-mutual-aid-networks-and-covid19/1518525148311427
Fiji Women’s Anti-Poverty & LGBTQI Solidarity Networks In Crises : Transparency Matters: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/fiji-womens-anti-poverty-lgbtqi-solidarity-networks-in-crises-transparency-matte/1547006582129950
DIVA COVID19 Solidarity Aid Feedback Loop:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/diva-covid19-solidarity-aid-feedback-loop/1571238483040093
And, hear more from individuals in the DIVA network through some of their recent articles below:
COMMUNAL AND CARING COMMUNITIES, IN A TIME OF COVID19 by Tamani Rarama: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/communal-and-caring-communities-in-a-time-of-covid19/1563386420491966
Why backyard farming, especially by women, matters in COVID19 & climate crisis response by Penina Tuisoya: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/why-backyard-farming-especially-by-women-matters-in-covid19-climate-crisis-respo/1552357421594866
Leaving no one behind in these COVID19 times by Frances Tawake Jiko: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/leaving-no-one-behind-in-these-covid19-times/1548013982029210
Any excess funds raised will contribute to DIVA’s ongoing COVID10 solidarity aid across urban poor, rural and maritime Fiji:
Funds are used to provide food, toilet, bathroom, taps and other water and sanitation upgrades, safer paths to houses for elderly, people with disability and children, household critical needs such as adult diapers, nappy packs, pregnant women and children’s specific food needs to prevent rising malnutrition, elderly care, sexual and reproductive health and rights needs, rent assistance, seeds assistance for urgently needed micro/backyard food gardens, safety and security concerns, urgent action to save homes when there is job loss, house urgent repairs from those in DIVA networks. Network members across the country have not only been affected by COVID19 but Tropical Cyclone Harold and recent flooding, general poor/high poverty is only getting worse with the overall economic downturn, with women and gender non binary people in informal or precarious work now losing that work and with minimal social protection and social floor in place.
Up to Dec, the campaign for the DIVA LBT housing project raised 2000 AUD. Thank you to everyone who contributed. Every little bit helps. These funds have gone to the housing project.
This Go Fund Me platform is now being used to raise funds for DIVA's Cyclone Yasa relief work.
On 17 Dec. Cyclone Yasa, a category 5 cyclone hit Fiji. This is one more disaster on top of Cyclone Harold in April, and COVID19. This, all while the memories and damage from Cyclone Winston (another category 5 storm) are still fresh from 2016.
DIVA'S ONGOING RELIEF WORK
Since the onset of COVID19 and Cyclone Harold, DIVA for Equality has focused on solidarity aid in Fiji, working materially and structurally with DIVA networks across Fiji.
The COVID19 national lockdown and the economic downturn due to border closures has drastically affected members of DIVA networks because most are unemployed, in casual and precarious work. For thousands, paid work has slowed down or stopped. Some are on temporary lay-offs, hours are drastically cut, or worst of all, they have been told they have been terminated from employment, permanently.
In April 2020, Tropical Cyclone Harold exacerbated the situation, with many in the network already living in poor and unsafe housing, now with added damage.
Now, Cyclone Yasa. Prior to the Cyclone, DIVA was quick to connect and support Cyclone preparations across their networks.
DIVA are working hard to find multiple ways to aid the most urgent cases.
DIVA are posting updates from across their networks via their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/DIVAFiji
THE DIVA LBT HOUSING PROJECT
A member of the DIVA lesbian, bisexual and trans-masculine network is living and caring for an elderly and partially bedridden mother in one of the poorest informal settlements in Suva. The conditions for this LBT led family in their home is unsafe and insecure. They share the tiny lean-to home constructed of old discarded materials with 4 other families, and live in 1 room. The four It sits on the edge of a mangrove swamp. Photos of the property demonstrate the unsafe, unsanitary conditions.
DIVA does not just want to repair the home. That is a band-aid solution as water floods the home almost weekly from mangrove tidal movement and regular king tides, and is even more unsafe when cyclones come. Often the elderly mother is left alone in the home overnight on an elevated bed in the single dry corner, while the LBT woman moves to a temporary overnight shelter until the water recedes.
There is a wider kinship issue of longterm discrimination, stigma and violence, that DIVA want to help to move this small family into a new 1 room, cyclone proof house (to be built in 4 weeks by 5 DIVA LBT women builders trained through an earlier project with Habitat for Humanity Fiji, Australia Pacific Training Coalition and funded by Asia Development Bank).
DIVA for Equality are liaising with local landowners for a small piece of leased land on which to build the home, which will cost around $1,000 FJD. With your help, for the first time, this LBT person and mother will have a safe, secure home from which they cannot be removed.
Total funds needed for this urgent pilot project is $14,000 FJD (approx. 10,000 AUD).
Funds will pay for a small cyclone 5 proof house, toilet and bathroom, and costs for a small plot of formally leased land in a better situated and negotiated informal settlement in Suva.
Photos showing the state of the current home are below:
Learn more about the solidarity aid work in response to COVID19 through a range of articles below:
A CALL TO ACTION : Fiji Women, Poverty, Mutual Aid Networks and COVID19: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/a-call-to-action-fiji-women-poverty-mutual-aid-networks-and-covid19/1518525148311427
Fiji Women’s Anti-Poverty & LGBTQI Solidarity Networks In Crises : Transparency Matters: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/fiji-womens-anti-poverty-lgbtqi-solidarity-networks-in-crises-transparency-matte/1547006582129950
DIVA COVID19 Solidarity Aid Feedback Loop:
https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/diva-covid19-solidarity-aid-feedback-loop/1571238483040093
And, hear more from individuals in the DIVA network through some of their recent articles below:
COMMUNAL AND CARING COMMUNITIES, IN A TIME OF COVID19 by Tamani Rarama: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/communal-and-caring-communities-in-a-time-of-covid19/1563386420491966
Why backyard farming, especially by women, matters in COVID19 & climate crisis response by Penina Tuisoya: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/why-backyard-farming-especially-by-women-matters-in-covid19-climate-crisis-respo/1552357421594866
Leaving no one behind in these COVID19 times by Frances Tawake Jiko: https://www.facebook.com/notes/diva-for-equality-fiji/leaving-no-one-behind-in-these-covid19-times/1548013982029210
Any excess funds raised will contribute to DIVA’s ongoing COVID10 solidarity aid across urban poor, rural and maritime Fiji:
Funds are used to provide food, toilet, bathroom, taps and other water and sanitation upgrades, safer paths to houses for elderly, people with disability and children, household critical needs such as adult diapers, nappy packs, pregnant women and children’s specific food needs to prevent rising malnutrition, elderly care, sexual and reproductive health and rights needs, rent assistance, seeds assistance for urgently needed micro/backyard food gardens, safety and security concerns, urgent action to save homes when there is job loss, house urgent repairs from those in DIVA networks. Network members across the country have not only been affected by COVID19 but Tropical Cyclone Harold and recent flooding, general poor/high poverty is only getting worse with the overall economic downturn, with women and gender non binary people in informal or precarious work now losing that work and with minimal social protection and social floor in place.
Organizer
Meghan Cooper
Organizer
Thornbury VIC