Thirty female students from across Fiji have been awarded grants under the 2024 Westpac Women and Girls Education Grant (WGEG).

Mussarat Bi, one of the four primary school winners from Valebasoga Public School in Labasa, said she found out about WGEG from her headteacher and, after talking about it with her parents, decided to apply.

“When I got the call, I was so excited. I love to draw, and I have also entered and won other drawing competitions at my school and was so surprised that I won a grant this time,” she shared.

Mussarat, who aspires to be a nurse one day, plans to save her grant money for later use.

Kasanita Harriet, another WGEG winner from Valebasoga Public School said she plans to help her parents by using her grant money to buy school and stationery supplies for the next school year.

Kasanita, whose career aspirations include becoming a teacher one day, also said she was so excited and happy to hear that she had won a grant.

Of the 30 grant recipients, four were from the Northern Division – two from Labasa, one from Bua, and one from Dreketi – marking the first winners from the region.

Each year through the program, Westpac offers 30 women and girls the opportunity to apply and win an education grant worth $500, $1,000, and $2,500 across three categories: Primary School, Secondary School, and Tertiary/Adult Learners respectively.

“At Westpac Fiji, we believe that empowering women and girls through education is key to creating a brighter, more inclusive future for all,” said Westpac Fiji Chief Executive Shane Smith.

“This grant program reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting and uplifting the next generation of leaders, innovators, and change-makers. We look forward to seeing the incredible impact you will make, not just for yourselves, but for your communities and our nation.”

In this year’s competition, primary school participants were asked to draw a poster on the topic “Show us what your best world would look like: where girls are given the support they need to succeed”.

Secondary school participants were asked to write an essay on the topic “What “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress” means to you and how you would bring this to life in Fiji”.

While Tertiary/adult learners were asked to write an essay on the topic “Share an experience you’ve encountered or witnessed in Fiji that has shown how investing in women and girls helped to accelerate progress”.