On March 4, 1998, The Fiji Times featured a story on how the villagers of Navilawa had mastered the craft of saddle making.
Navilawa Village, located at the end of a rugged road at the base of the Sleeping Giant Range in Sabeto, behind Nadi, was lush, cool, and tranquil.
Until recently, the villagers relied on their gardens and a budding eco-tourism venture to get by. However, they had started a saddlery that was gaining a great reputation in the Western Division, attracting customers despite the arduous journey.
This cottage industry was initiated by John Dualase, who attended a saddle making workshop run by the International League for the Protection of Horses (ILPH), a British-based charitable organization.
Mr. Dualase began by repairing saddles for customers in Navilawa and nearby villages. As demand grew, he trained his sons and other young villagers in this new skill. His daughters also learned the craft after persistently requesting to be trained.
Village youths could be seen working on saddles in the evenings and during the day after farm work was completed. They had repaired over 50 saddles and expanded into making new saddles, all crafted by hand until Andre Buber, the ILPH’s International Training and Development director, visited Navilawa during the annual saddle-making course.
“I was so impressed with what they have achieved that I found funding to purchase some electric equipment to help improve their productivity,” said Buber. The electric saw drill would help Mr. Dualase make the saddle “trees” – the wooden core of the saddle. The shape of the trees determined the quality and comfort of the saddle.
“It’s a long procedure that involves selecting the right wood, then carefully shaping and sanding it. With the equipment, we can make three panels in the time it took to make one, and they are more precisely cut,” said Mr. Dualase. He also planned to start a side business selling these panels to other saddle makers and aimed to get some small business management training.
“This is what the ILPH wants to encourage,” said Buber. “If we can provide people with skills that improve their income and lifestyle, as well as the health of local horses, we are happy. In Navilawa, we see the whole village benefiting from a small cottage industry that has challenged commercial saddle makers.”
Saddles, which previously sold for $250 in hardware shops, were now much cheaper due to the competition from John and those he had trained. Mr. Dualase sold his saddles for up to $200 and used locally available materials, except for the blacksmithing work on the frame, which they couldn’t yet do themselves.
Mr. Dualase observed that village horses were healthier and more willing to work with well-made saddles.