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PROJECTSBee Keeping StoryThe Northern Division Project plan put on a micro business seminar in the Villages and made money available for locals to start their own bee keeping business. Some people were interested in keeping bees. We were asked to participate in the program. We purchased an extractor and I made patterns and jigs to build hives and frames. We are helping to promote bee keeping and are prepared to extract and purchase their honey, package and market it; thus far no takers. We purchased 5 hives for ourselves; 2 of them have done well and we are now starting 5 more. We are planning to put up 20 more and expand into 200 or so. We will do this under the ALSO Island banner. If things follow their normal pattern we will have to show them that it is a workable idea before they will start on their own. This will provide employment for some more workers and the honey will create some much needed income. We could be in the position to supply complete hives and extract and purchase local honey. - 01/01/13 - Bread Making StoryWe would always carry bread to the Island when the Supply boat came. The bread did not keep or last long; either we did not buy enough or it went moldy before we finished it. Then the women would make bread for the Island in the traditional manner: in a pot heated from the bottom and the top with burning coconut shells. The bread was delightful and always a treat. But, we never had enough and there were requests for the store to have bread to sell. . . . We built an oven largely because Jim needed whole meal bread and we were tired of not having bread on a regular basis. When we started baking for our own use requests started coming for us to bake bread to supply the store. We now bake on Friday (3 or 4 dozen) for the store and ourselves and on other days as required for ourselves or orders. ALSO Island Bread has proven to quite popular. - 01/10/13 - Fish Buying StoryEarly on it became obvious that there were many people who needed a local place to sell their catch. Originally our supply boat, “The Lady K” a 28 foot fisheries boat, carried ice out to the Island as well as supplies and passengers. With ice on the Island we were able to purchase fish and then transport it to market in Labasa. Fishing is one the locals’ main sources of income It soon became obvious that we could not carry enough ice and supplies on the “Lady K”. ALSO Island has sought funding for an Ice Maker since 2005 without success. As the operation grew we needed more Ice, Supplies, Fuel and there were more passengers needing to go to Labasa. We built the “ALSO XII” a 40 foot power catamaran. We now carry 4 times as much Ice as originally. It is not an economical situation but, it services a very large need. When people need money they go fishing and ALSO Island is prepared to purchase their catch. - 01/01/13 - |
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