Learning is a life-long process. Rina Wati is a strong believer of that expression, which is why, at 56, she continues to work to earn a living.
Rina sells artificial flowers she makes at home and uses the income she earns to buy food for the family.
She acquired the skill three years ago and today, her products include home and hair decorations, which have become popular among her customers in the northern town of Labasa.
“I learnt how to make the artificial floral decorations three years ago from my daughter and have been doing the flowers since then,” she said.
“It’s not an easy job because we have to cut it to perfect shape and the petals need to have the same width and length.
She says the job is not easy but it has helped them as a family. With an ill husband to look after, Rina ensures that her day is not fully taken up by her small business.
“It takes up a lot of time to make these flowers so I do this after all my house work is done and my husband’s food is cooked,” she said.
“If I make flowers in the morning, it will take me more than half a day to complete my task, sometimes a whole day.
“That is why I complete all my house work before I do the flowers for my customers.”
Like other businesses, Rina, who lives in Wailevu, a few kilometres outside the town area has her good and bad days.
“Sometimes I earn $30 during a bad business day but when it’s all good I earn $50 or more,” she said.
“That is enough to buy food for my family and save some money to buy more materials for my business. Rina gets a helping hand from her daughter if she’s free.
“She helps me put the flowers together. She’s the one with better eyesight and steady hands so she cuts the flowers perfectly into shape.”
Rina is grateful for the support by Labasa businesswoman Amelia Simmons who used to buy her flowers and have it sold at the UG’s Hair Salon.
“This helped me a lot and I am very grateful to Ms Simmons.
“This year, that has changed. I visit the shops and see if they are interested in buying or I sell flowers to customers I meet on the streets,” she said.
Otherwise, Rina has her own set of customers who order from her.
“It’s not easy selling these flowers because other people make it too but I always make sure to have different patterns that will attract customers.”
This tactic, she said hasdworked well for her over the years. “Sometimes, customers give their own pattern and I never hesitate because it teaches me new ideas,” Rina said.
“For me, this business is about learning and I will continue to use every opportunity to learn.”
