Women in Vanuabalavu, Lau, should be encouraged to sell their handicrafts as an additional source of income.
This comes after the Vanuabalavu Expo enabled several women to earn more money in just three days.
Daulako Mavoa of Boitaci Village on Vanuabalavu was among the women who benefited financially from the expo.
“Women have the skills and capabilities to thrive using their handicraft skills,” she said.
“We saw many women displaying their woven baskets, mats, and other handicraft items which helped earn money for their families over the past three days.”
Ms. Mavoa emphasized the importance of platforms like the Vanuabalavu Expo to showcase the talents and skills of the women of Vanuabalavu.
She noted that more efforts are needed to train the women of Vanuabalavu to enhance their handicraft skills.
“I earned more than $300 from selling coconut oil, sasa brooms, and baskets made from coconut leaves,” she said.
“We have a lot of natural resources on the island. All that is needed is to train these women to further improve their knowledge in handicraft skills by utilizing these natural resources.”
Mrs. Mavoa has three children, two of whom work in Viti Levu while one lives on Vanuabalavu. Her children have been great supporters of her participation in the Vanuabalavu Expo.
“They helped pay for my kalavata and other items needed to create my crafts for sale at the Vanuabalavu Expo. I enjoyed being part of this expo and meeting other women from the 17 villages of Vanuabalavu. The different kalavata worn by participants was really nice to see.”
The three-day event concluded yesterday.