DESPITE encountering life’s many adversities, Asena Naiwase defied the odds.
The single mother of Delaitokatoka, Kalabu never lost hope. She searched for an opportunity to provide for her three children and made sure she worked hard.
Now, her three children have all grown into adults and have jobs and families of their own.
But the 60-year-old has shown no signs of slowing down.
She could still be spotted selling perfumes and her line of handcrafted jewellery on the streets of Suva.
Creating beautiful pieces with her hands started as a hobby but when she found out that she was pretty good at it, she never looked back and decided to turn her hobby into an income source.
“I started doing this five years ago,” Asena said.
“This is one of my favourite hobbies now, aside from meeting people, helping the needy and baking.”
“Before this, I sold vegetables. But my younger daughter encouraged me to do this. She even taught me how to make earrings and necklaces.”
To perfect her jewellery making skills, she learned under her daughter’s tutelage who up-skilled herself through DIY (do it yourself) videos on social media.
“My daughter uses internet a lot and learned the skills from You Tube. After watching she would teach those skills to me.
“It’s very interesting and I enjoy doing this.”
Asena started her small business by selling perfumes and gradually moved to art and craft items.
“My son-in-law went to Iraq and he brought perfumes when he returned. I bought them from him and started selling here (in Suva).
“Then customers started asking about handmade earrings and necklaces, so I thought of selling them too.
“With the help of my daughter, I started making and selling handmade jewellery. I buy raw materials and make jewellery out of them myself.”
Ms Naiwase said she enjoyed her job because it empowered her financially and allowed her the chance to meet different people every day.
“I meet new people and customers every day and get to make lot of friends.
“This job comes with less stress. I can come and go anytime I like because there is no one to boss me around .”
Her advice to single mothers is to look at ways to succeed.
“Staying home won’t help. Try doing something so that you are not a burden on anyone. You have to come out and look for ways to succeed.
