How Salome Empowered And Inspired
Courts Fiji Limited and South Pacific Business Development (SPBD) have partnered to ensure economic empowerment of rural Fijian women.
The business partners had signed an agreement last Friday to assist registered business women in improving their businesses.
SPBD general manager Elrico Munoz said the partnership into its seventh year opens doors to their recipients who will be able to purchase items at Courts.
Mr Munoz said members registered with them are able to get various items on hire purchase to help them run their businesses.
Courts marketing director Anil Senewiratne praised the joint venture and is pleased to be part of the initiative to empower women.
Salome Ganilau who has been successfully supported by the scheme, shares her story to inspire other women to start up their own business and contribute to the growth of the economy.
Salome the sole trader
Mrs Ganilau, a 40-year-old sole trader of Tamavua-I-Wai. She acknowledged the assistance given by SPBD and she is in the process of applying for her seventh loan.
The mother of six, originally from Galoa, Kadavu decided to run her own business in order to support her husband in meeting the family needs on a daily basis.
“I have been the member of SPBD member since 2012,” Mrs Ganilau said.
“Through the help of SPBD Loan scheme it enabled me to take out a loan of $600 to start my baking business.”
She started her business at home because she is familiar with her surroundings and easy to communicate in order to get clients on board.
She manages to earn $200 per day after all expenses have been deducted.
The profit she earns also depends on the amount of order she gets during the week and also on the size of the cake ordered.
The bigger the size of the cake the more the price besides it may not be much but it helps with weekly loan payments and savings with SPBD.
Mrs Ganilau says some of the challneges she faces is delivering finished products from home to the road because of its distance to the main road and also competition from established cake shops and other small businesses.
“I also find it difficult if there is a last minute cancellations from customers and also the damaged products due to power surge.”
She is grateful that her family helps out in terms of intellectual abilities in creating cake decorations and also with the deliveries.
“Customers are villagers in Tamavua-i-wai community, friends, family and contacts through social media,” she said.
Her future plan is to relocate business for easy access and also advertising social media marketing and also facilitate courses to improve and diversify business.
About SPBD
SPBD is a network of Microfinance Institutions working in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Solomon Islands dedicated to eradicating poverty by empowering women in poor rural villages with the opportunity to start, grow and maintain sustainable, income-generating micro-enterprises, build assets, as well as, finance home improvements and childhood education.
