In the current climate change trajectory by scientists, the world will get warmer, and extreme weather changes can be expected as early as 2050, as the United Nations has predicted.

Higher sea levels, a warmer climate, an ocean that is both warmer and more acidic, and more significant changes in precipitation patterns are all anticipated in the future.

Our current actions to cut greenhouse gas emissions will determine how much climate change there will be in the future.

Bigger well-developed nation’s bid to cut down on emissions is yet to be achieved.

For small island countries in the Pacific, more specifically for Fiji, grassroots level communities are usually the ones pioneering innovative climate-friendly adaptation.

We can only do so little, a bid that will ultimately contribute to the greater good, and that is exactly what Asinate Kama, 61, is doing.

Ms Kama goes out of her way to villages and settlements in the Cakaudrove Province to conduct training for women on how to sew, screen printing, tie, and dye and conducted a fashion show.

The best part of this initiative is that she does this for free, she empowers women and uses recycled materials to create magnificent pieces that were once trash into something worth wearing and admiring.

Ms Kama champions the call for women’s empowerment in rural settings, more specifically the need for more individuals to consider recycling cloth material so it does not end up in the landfill.

She said it could take more than 200 years for the components in garments that people tossed away in the trash to break down in a landfill, wasting both money and resources.

“I love what I do, because not only I’m showcasing and teaching other women about my designs but also I’m instilling in them the very importance of recycling,” Ms Kama said.

“Climate change is real, and a small action like this goes a very long way in an effort to minimise pollution.”

“Especially in rural areas, and coastal areas in this province, we see sea inundation and these all rings a bell, for me – it’s recycling ‘maroroya na nomu benu’ (keep your trash).”

The Tailevu native acknowledged the need to render such free training to some of the most rural-based communities and villages in Vanua Levu when she was there on a visit to her daughter in Tukavesi in 2021.

“I empower women through my free training and workshop so that they can stand on their feet to support their families,” she said.

What is recycling material? Although recycling is a term you hear a lot in the fashion industry, what does it really mean?

Above all, is this the best way to address the dire environmental effects that the apparel business is causing?

Every year, millions of tonnes of clothing are disposed of in landfills.

Methane and other greenhouse gases are released by natural fibers and contribute to climate change. Synthetic textiles have a long shelf life.

 

Thus, postponing this consequence and recycling clothing is undoubtedly a beneficial thing.

Ms Kama said for Fiji, we could all start by way of recycling, might it be an old bag turned into a headpiece, or a random 3-metre-cloth into a nice jaba.

“When I go out for training, I encourage them to recycle whatever they have from their home,” she said.

“Because this way, they’re not only saving money, but saving the environment as well.”

 

 

Personal bid

Since 2021, Ms Kama has visited more than 14 villages in Cakaudrove, and trained women in some of the most interior-based women groups in Tunuloa and Natewa.

Her transportation expenses were either on her own or paid for by women in villages who needed the trainings.

“I feel that the work I do is so important, not only for women empowerment, but Fijians to advocate about the detrimental effects of Climate Change and what we can do about it,” she said.

“We join the big conference on the international stage but if people are on the ground and not doing their personal bid against climate change, we’re definitely heading somewhere scary.”

 

Why Recycle?

The maxim “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” has been around for a while.

The plastic bottles were disposed of in the blue bin, but recycling and reusing are more crucial.

The textile industry is just as important as recycling.

Clothes production is increasing as a result of increased consumer spending and shopping.

But packed closets and the fast fashion industry have also contributed to landfills that are overflowing.

Ms Kama said before throwing away old clothing, think about the effects of recycling it as opposed to adding it to the landfill.

“Let’s do the right thing, we do fashion, we do it the recycling way,” she said.

“Empowerment of women is important, as well as climate change mitigation effort.”

 

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