Vanuatu Market Woman in a purple headscarf and red patterned dress standing at a market stall displaying colorful handmade flower crafts and woven baskets

Ol Handicraft Mamas Blong Vanuatu

Story Blo Tevala Diana Morris Sam

Interview by Stephanie Eleonore Pflugfelder

Editing by Sonia Reuben

English Version
Colorful handmade palm-leaf flowers and feather decorations in blue, pink, yellow, orange, and white, Vanuatu Market
Collection of handmade wooden bowls and carved leaf-shaped serving dishes displayed on white fabric; Vanuatu Market
Close-up of colorful woven baskets made from natural fibers in red, purple, teal, yellow, and cream patterns, Vanuatu Market

 Ol handicraft oli olsem wan impoten pat blo local economy blong yumi lo Vanuatu

Taim yu stap lo central business district blo Port Vila, wan smol wokbaot lo Mamas’ Handicraft Market ikat fulap artisans we oli stap showem mo salem ol nais products blong olgeta. Ol handicrafts blong olgeta oli blong Vanuatu nomo, we oli bin mekem wetem ol kastom skills wea oli bin pasem daon tru lo stori blong famili blo olgeta.

Wan lo ol Mamas emi bin spendem taem wetem mifala lo KALJA Magazine blo eksplenem journey blo hem olsem wan vendor lo Handicraft Market.

Tevala Diana Morris Sam emi serem stori blem blo talem lo mifala wanem ibin influensem hem blo statem journey blem olsem wan business owna. Mifala ibin stori smol abaot histori mo kalja blong hem, blo save andastanem inspirisen blong hem, mo blo hemi save serem wan toktok blo ol fuja generesen blo yumi blo save se i kat fulap opportunity blong bildim opportunities mo inkam.

Close-up of a hanging seashell decoration made with colorful shells and twine, Vanuatu Market
Traditional Polynesian floral garland with bright pink woven flowers and dried palm leaves over red patterned clothing
Handmade palm-leaf floral decoration with layered beige star-shaped flowers and green-and-white leaves, held against purple patterned fabric.

Interview 

Yu bin statem business blo yu olsem wanem?


Taim mi bin kam stap lo town mi wok smol Smol olbaot lo ol shop, olsem haos gel, mo mi wok smol lo hotel. Lo taem ia, mi luk save se mi no wantem wok blo wan narfala man.

Lo taim ia mi bin stat blo wokbaot lo solwota afta mi stat blo pikimap ol sel, afta mi luk save se mi save mekem samsamting blo lukaotem monei blong mi wan lo wanem we mi produsem.

Mi colectem ol sel, mi stap somap, afta taim ol fren oli kam, mi stap kim lo olgeta. Lo taim ia mi no bin tinkbaot money. Mi stap kim nomo olsem ol gift.

Naoia samting ia ikam back lo laef blo mi tedei. Mi lukluk ol ston, ol seed, mi stap pikmap, mi colectem blo makem ol crafts blong mi.

Wanem emi inspiresen blong yu taim yu stap makem ol handicrafts blong yu?

Mi taim mi stap lukluk naija, mi wantem makem se stoa blo mi emi save kat wan sem style olsem ia. Mi wantem ol handicraft blo mi oli save kat semak stael olsem ol tree, ol frut, mo ol animol blo Vanuatu.

Naija emi helpem mi blo save se spos mi makem ol handicrafts blo mi, mo arangem stoa blo mi olsem ia; ol man bai oli kam afta bai oli laikem. Mi save se, spos mi, mi laikem, ol narfala man bai oli laikem tu.

Mi stap talem lo ol kastoma blong mi se; wok blo mi emi no from money nomo. Money emi impoten mo emi help, be mindset blo mi emi spos yu kat wan mindset mo wan visin blo yu, emia emi mo impoten bitim money.

Wanem we emi bin blesem laef blong mi, taim ol man oli kam lukluk wok mo product blo mi, oli telem lo mi se oli likem, emi kivim mi peace from mi save se wanem we mi bin makem i naes mo i blessem tu wan narafala man.

Emia nao emi mindset mo inspiresen blong mi.

Wanem kain materials yu stap usem mo wanem emi men handicraft we yu stap makem?

Main handicraft we mi stap makem emi ol leis - mi makem lo own stael blong mi.

Mi no luk ol nara stael blo ol leis afta mi copi. Mi makem own stael blong mi, from mi kam blo faenemaot se taim mi krietem statel blong mi, bai mi likem evritaim blo mi mi stap wokem. Spos mi mekem stael blo wan nara man bai mi mekem wantaim nomo afta mi leko nao.

Mi stap mekem ol flowa blo adem value lo ol crafts mo prodak we mi stap pem lo ol nara artisans blo mekem wan smol stael lo hem. Spos yu putum wan stael istap lo hem we emi blo yu wan nomo, taim ol nara man oli luk, bai oli save se emia emi basket blo mi wantaim.


Yu stap yusum wanem kain materials?

Mi usum pandanus plante, mo mi usum hibiscus. Hibiscus mi stap yusum ina pat blo hem ikat wan skin lo hem, afta mi usum blo atajem lo ol handicrafts.

Ikat sam family blo yu we oli stap makem handicraft tu?

Back lo hom, family blo mi oli makem mat nao plante. Ol mat ia we mi stap salem, emia ol sista wetem ol brata wetem ol pikinini blo olgeta. Espesely ol gel - oli stap lo primary nomo be oli stap wiv.

Wiving emi wan samting we mi stap telem lo olgeta se yumi mas revivem. Yumi mas lanem long ol pikinini hao blo makem mat, hao blo makem basket.

Ol smol basket we oli stap behain lo yu, ol student gel blo class 6 nomo oli makem. Emia nao emi wanem mi wantem oli stap len blong makem.

Emi gud yumi save karem basket blo ol white man be yumi no save luk factory blong hem. Taim ol pikinini blo mi oli askem ol chain or ol iaring we oli makem lo overseas, mi askem, yu bin luk factory blong hem? Taim oli telem no, mi talem lo olgeta se, blo yumi hemia.

Mi, mi werem natangura plante mo ol local necklasis long taim finis. Taim mi luk oli salem natangura, mi mas pikimap.

Mifala i save mekem, mo mifala usum everisamting we mifala i finem lo naija - ol sid, ol sel, ol feta. Mifala ino wastem anisamting.

Woman in a colorful red floral dress and purple headscarf standing in a market stall displaying woven baskets, crafts, and jewelry
Close-up of a woven black and tan bracelet on a person's wrist against red and pink patterned fabric

Huia I in tijim yu blo makem handicraft?

Fasin blo mi emi handicraft. Everi samting we mi lukim araon long yumi – ol sids, ol frut, ol liv, ol timba – emi gim wan pikja insaet lo maen blo mi, olsem ikat wan samting we i stap insaet lo ol samting yia

Mi kamaot lo wan family we oli no wok – ol job olsem tija, o wok lo office, mifala ino kat. Be Apu blo mi, emi wan woman we emi save wiv. Emi wiv plante, mo emi save disaen eni kain paten lo mat.

Spos yumi tinkbaot lo 30 o 40 yia iko, ino kat money insaet lo ol kaen samting olsem ia. Mifala i makem ol mat mo ol basket, afta mifala kim lo wan family, o wan maret, o wan tet. Sam ting ia i representem money lo taim blo bifo.

Mama mo ol sista blo mi, mifala everi wan i wiv. Taim ol man oli bin nidim wan mat, oli bin kam lukaotem mifala blo wiv mo kim 500VT lo mifala blo mekem wan bigfala money blong mifala.

Naoia mi stap lo handicraft market, mi stap enkarejem ol yangfala plante. Mi talem lo olgeta, mi no save yu kam lo wanem province, be mi wantem enkarejem olgeta blo traim blo makem handicraft. Mi wantem revivem praktis blong yumi blo wiv, from fuja blo yumi emi no stap nomo lo office. Yu wiv, yu makem money.

Sam lo ol basket we mi stap salem, ol student blo class 3 oli kam blo salem lo mi afta mi pem. Mi talem lo olgeta se, taim yu stap wiv, mo mekem praktis blo yu blo wiv, bai yu jas stap bildim ap ol skills blo yu ia nao.

Smol money we mi kim lo olgeta i save enkarejem olgeta blo kontinu, afta bai oli save karem sam mo ikam. Mifalao ol venda, mifala i stap sot lo ol product ia; emia nao taim ikat ol pikinini we oli stap wiv mo kam lukluk mifala blo selem product blo olgeta, bai mifala i stap pem aot.

Nowia mi luk Vanuatu i stap enkarejem ol man blo country blong yumi blo pem aot ol local products. M luk ol yangfala oli nomo stap ko lukaotem ol product blo overseas. Naoia, ol man Vanuatu oli stap kam lo handicraft blo pem aot ol product blo mi, emi no jas ol man blo ovaseas namo.

Taim yumi werem ol product blong Vanuatu, yumi representem Vanuatu. Yumi save representem olbaot lo wol, lo Europe, China, Australia, New Zealand.

Wan wish blo mi emi blo save kat wan workshop o wan tijing haus blong yumi lo ples ia blo ol yangfala oli save ko blo lanem hao blo mekem ol handicraft. Mi wantem oli kat mindset blo save olgeta oli blo Vanuatu, emia emi wan basket blo mi, mi mi mekem, mo mi save mekem vatu aot long hem.

Taim yu sit daon lo office, yu save mekem money everi tu wiks, be lo market, yu save mekem money everi dei.

Wanem emi las toktok we yu wantem serem wetem negis generation blo Vanuatu?

Yu no sitdaon nomo mo talem se money ino kat. Yu mas kerap. Yu kat ol 5 senses blo yu we Papa God emi kim blo yu, yu save tingting, yu filim, yu testem, yu save lukluk mo tajem. Wetem 5 senses blo yu, yu save wokbaot mo tingting, mekem ius lo samting ia. Lo taim we yu stap pulum win iet, yu mekem wan somting, from emia emi sevis blo yu iko lo wan narfala man.

Emi no abaot money, emi blo sevis. Taim wan man emi kam lo stoa mo emi karem wan samting we yu mekem, mo emi talem se emi laikem, bai i luk hao noa bai yu filim blessing ia. Emi no jas kim money lo yu, be bai yu luk bai i kivim peace tu long yu.

Mi wantem enkarejem yumi, ol family blo Port Vila, emi kim peace taim yu krieatem wan samting. Mi enkarejem yu blo makem wan samting.

Taim yu usum taim blo yu blo makem wan samting, mi luk emi helpem mi blo no stap sik. Mi luk fulap man oli stap sik naoia from oli no stap kreatem wan samting wetem hand blo olgeta. Yu mas mekem wan samting we yu, yu likem yu wan.

“Emia emi final mesej blo mi – yufala i no tink daon lo yufala. Yufala i karap lo fit blo yufala afta yufala wok blo wanem yu wantem”

English Version
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