Meredani Tuitavua and her husband, Jonasa Tuitavua, have reaped the benefits of their home-based business after earning around $1000 in a month.

The couple have two children and chose to start their wooden craft designs business in August from their home in field 40, Lautoka to cater for household expenses.

Ms Tuitavua said her husband’s contract with the Water Authority of Fiji was not renewed, leaving him and his brother to do joinery work, where he later used leftover materials to carve wooden craft designs.

She said they saw some people using single letter alphabets at weddings, birthdays and other occasions, so they thought wooden craft would be a good idea.

“For a four to seven letter words, it would be $15. For words with 8 to 10 letters with cursive fonts, that’s $20 because we have to move the jigsaw around and for birthday framework that’s $65.”

She said more than 100 pieces have been sold. They received up to 25 orders a week and even shipped some to Suva and Vanua Levu.

“Most of our customers are from Suva so we deliver through CDP. Sometimes when they make short call orders, and they want it by tomorrow, my husband would stay up all night trying to design and, in the morning, he starts cutting with the jigsaw and drill.”

Pieces of wooden craft that the couple made. Photo: Salote Qalubau

She said they have also faced challenges with customers.

Ms Tuitavua said, because they are Seventh-day Adventists, they only deliver their orders by Fridays.

She urged young couples to think outside the box when choosing a source of income.

“Don’t let the circumstances that we’re facing right now be an obstacle, like a barrier for you to stop trying to achieve something that you want for your kids,” she said.

Edited by Selita Bolanavanua

Feedback: salote.qalubau@fijisun.com.fj