Women in Vanuabalavu, Lau, should be encouraged to sell their handicrafts as an additional source of income. This follows the success of the Vanuabalavu Expo, which helped several women earn more money in just three days.
Daulako Mavoa of Boitaci Village on Vanuabalavu was among those 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 that 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 Vanuabalavu’s women. She called for more efforts to train these women to improve their handicraft skills.
“I earned more than $300 from selling coconut oil, sasa brooms, and baskets made from coconut leaves,” she added. “We have many natural resources on the island. What’s needed is to train women on how to enhance their knowledge in handicraft skills by utilizing these natural resources.”
Ms. Mavoa, who has three children—two working in Viti Levu and one residing on Vanuabalavu—acknowledged the support from her children towards her participation in the expo. “They helped pay for my kalavata and other items needed to make my crafts for the expo. I enjoyed being part of this event and meeting other women from the 17 villages of Vanuabalavu, each in their distinctive kalavata, which was wonderful to see.”
The three-day event concluded yesterday.