MAKING soap and tie-dye once seemed difficult to Seruwaia Cavabula, but after completing a training program in Sigatoka, she discovered that the skills could be learned and be turned into a source of income.
Seruwaia is from Nausori Highlands in the district of Namataku in Navosa.
She lives in the village, where she helps look after her cousin and supports her family with work on their farm.
When she heard that training was being offered to village youths, she saw an opportunity to broaden her understanding and asked her parents for permission to attend.
“I thought it was hard to make soap or to print in tie-dye, but after undergoing the training I realised that it is quite easy to make, especially at home,” Seruwaia said.
The training, held at the Nasau Training Centre in Sigatoka, introduced her to skills she had previously only known as finished products.
“I’ve always heard about tie-dye, and I have even bought tie-dye products, but I never knew how to make it.”
Now, she wants to turn what she has learned into something of her own.
Seruwaia is the eldest of five siblings and the only girl in her family.
With her father working, she and the rest of the family help look after their farm. Their home is also some distance from the village, requiring a 10 to 15-minute walk to reach it.
Learning new skills is more than gaining knowledge for Seruwaia; it is a step towards creating an income and building a future for herself from home.
“The training that I’ve undertaken will surely guide me to earning an income as I will be able to produce items that I can sell in the village.”
Her immediate plan is to practise.
“I will first go and try it out at home so I can perfect it and then continue to learn other skills as I go, so I can make products of my own in the future.”
Completing the training is only the beginning for Seruwaia.
She has plans she hopes to achieve, and she sees the skills she has gained as her first step.
For a young woman living in the village, that first step could open the way to new skills, new opportunities and eventually an income she can create for herself.
