Tiko Ledua is making significant strides with her innovative upcycling business, Ledua’s Art Collection. With 15 years of experience in painting and decorating, Ms. Ledua merges her artistic expertise with her commitment to sustainability, transforming waste into creative and functional pieces.
She has successfully built her business from the ground up and has even designed her own website to display her unique offerings.
As a mother, Ms. Ledua emphasizes that family comes first. She balances her responsibilities between caring for her toddler and managing her home-based business. Her daily schedule is filled with activities, whether she is caring for her child or working on her next artistic creation. “My day is always busy, either I am working or I am mothering,” she commented.
Ms. Ledua’s artistic journey began long before her formal education. She recalls being captivated by colors and their impact on life, a fascination that started in her childhood and continued into her professional work after she studied painting and decorating in 2009.
The concept of upcycling in her art emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Living in Raiwaqa, she and her husband, who has experience in building and joinery, began collecting waste materials found on the roadside. “We started our new journey of upcycling from literally picking whatever waste we could find, like old tires, baby cots, and cardboard,” she explained. They then began creating artwork and household items from these materials.
Establishing her business wasn’t without challenges. “It was never easy and it still isn’t!” Ms. Ledua remarked. She values networking, believing that “Network is your Net Worth when you’re in business.” Despite facing skepticism for using waste materials, her determination and passion keep her motivated.
Looking ahead, Ms. Ledua has ambitious plans for her business, hoping to open an upcycling center that would provide a platform for women interested in upcycling. She envisions this center as a space for empowerment, showcasing art, and nurturing creativity, aiming to build a supportive community that makes a positive impact on the environment.
Recently, she hosted a successful workshop as part of the Outbound Fellows program sponsored by the Department of State through the East West Centre. The workshop focused on identifying potential trainers in Fiji’s western and northern regions and yielded positive results, with six potential trainers identified.
To grow her business, Ms. Ledua recognized the importance of a consistent revenue-generating process and effective communication of her mission to customers. This realization led her to participate in a website-building workshop sponsored by Business Assistance Fiji. She found the workshop to be very productive, and the new website is now a vital tool for her operations.
Ms. Ledua encourages others to learn about repurposing household waste. “Learn to educate yourselves in how to repurpose household wastes in reducing and minimizing waste from ending up in the landfill,” she advised, urging the community to take action.
Her journey exemplifies how creativity, passion, and perseverance can transform unlikely materials into something beautiful and practical, inspiring those around her to contribute to a more sustainable future.