Tiko Ledua is advancing her innovative upcycling business, Ledua’s Art Collection. With a background in painting and decorating that spans 15 years, Ms. Ledua merges her expertise with a commitment to sustainability, transforming waste into creative and practical items.
She has built her business from the ground up, even designing and developing her website to display her unique products.
A typical day for Ms. Ledua involves balancing her responsibilities as a mother with managing her home-based enterprise. From caring for her toddler to crafting new artwork, her schedule is filled with various activities. “My day is always busy, either I am working or I am mothering,” she shared.
Ms. Ledua’s artistic journey began long before her formal education. “Before studying painting and decorating in 2009, I was always fascinated by the wonders of colours and their effect on our everyday life,” she reminisced. This fascination led her from coordinating outfits as a child to mastering colour harmony professionally.
The concept of upcycling emerged for Ms. Ledua during the COVID-19 pandemic. Living in Raiwaqa, she and her husband began collecting discarded materials from the roadside. “We started our new journey of upcycling by picking whatever waste we could find, like old tires, baby cots, and cardboard,” she explained. This initiative allowed them to create art and household items using waste as their primary materials.
Transforming her skills into a business proved challenging. “It was never easy, and it still isn’t!” Ms. Ledua remarked. She emphasizes the importance of networking, declaring, “Network is your Net Worth when you’re in business.” Despite facing skepticism regarding her choice of raw materials, her determination and passion have propelled her forward.
Looking ahead, Ms. Ledua has ambitious goals for her enterprise. “We are working and planning on opening an upcycling centre where we provide a platform for women upcyclers,” she revealed. This centre aims to empower women, providing a showroom and a safe space for artistic creation. Her vision is to cultivate a supportive community that fosters growth and positively impacts the environment.
Recently, Ms. Ledua conducted a successful workshop as part of the Outbound Fellows programme, sponsored by the Department of State through the East West Centre. The workshop sought to identify potential trainers in Fiji’s western and northern regions and yielded great results. “We were able to identify six potential trainers,” she stated proudly.
To expand her business, Ms. Ledua recognized the need for consistent revenue and effective communication of her mission to customers. This realization led her to participate in a website-building workshop sponsored by Business Assistance Fiji. “The website workshop and website-building process were very productive and efficient,” she noted, highlighting the website’s significance in her business operations.
Ms. Ledua encourages everyone to learn about repurposing household waste. “Educate yourselves on how to repurpose household wastes, reducing and minimizing what ends up in landfills,” she advised. “There’s so much to do, Fiji!”
Her journey exemplifies how creativity, passion, and perseverance can transform even the most unlikely materials into beautiful and useful creations, inspiring others to contribute to a more sustainable world.