On May 9, 2018, United States in partnership with the Fiji Business Disaster Resilience Council and the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation, will launch a training program that will help businesses in Savusavu better prepare for natural disasters. The programme will be launched at the Yaroi Village Hall, Savusavu, Fiji.

The training is part of the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Ready project, which is strengthening the environmental and disaster resilience of Pacific Island countries.

Around 20 participants from small and medium-sized local businesses will participate in the one-day training on business continuity planning, the role of first responders, and recovery after disasters. They will also learn about government services and disaster management plans, which will not only help businesses better prepare for disasters, but also position them to effectively contribute to recovery efforts.

The training follows the earlier programs held in Labasa in November 2017 and Suva in January 2018, which supported small- and medium-sized enterprises to develop their own business continuity plans.

USAID’s five-year Ready project strengthens the capacity of governments and institutions to develop and implement effective environmental and disaster mitigation policies and strategies. Ready works in 12 Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.