WHAT began as a way to earn an income from home during COVID-19 has grown into a business that Unaisi Butuivalu now proudly calls her own.
From her home in Naselai in Tailevu, Butuivalu runs LIUVI Creations, a registered home-based business producing handmade and cultural items for customers in Fiji and abroad.
A wife and mother, Butuivalu started small – making jute earrings and tekiteki during the pandemic.
“I never imagined those small beginnings would eventually become a registered business,” she said.
Her creativity soon extended beyond earrings and tekiteki.
Later, she began making and customising bags, fans, salusalu, masi items, tekiteki and other cultural products.
Much of what she knows has come through practice.
“I learned by doing, making mistakes, correcting them and trying again,” she said.
Her interest in handmade crafts was driven by both creativity and the need to create an income from home.
“I have always enjoyed creating things, and I realised that something I enjoyed doing could also become a source of income,” she said.
As orders grew, so did the idea that her skills could become more than a hobby.
“I realised that people were willing to pay for the things I was making. That was when I started thinking, ‘Maybe I can actually turn this into something bigger.’”
She began using her savings from selling handmade earrings and other crafts to invest back into the business.
Taking that first step was not easy, but it marked the beginning of a journey that has transformed a small corner of her home into a business she is proud of.
The name LIUVI itself carries a deeply personal meaning. It represents her mother Litia, herself, Una, and her late sister Vika.
For Butuivalu, LIUVI is more than a business name. It represents family and the journey that brought her to where she is today.
n Full story in The Sunday Times
