Mother Of Twelve Juggles Life And Entrepreneurship
For more than 20 years, Noela Waqairawai, has worked hard to ensure that her family thrives.
Being a mother to 12 children is no easy task, particularly when you have a business to attend to, but for this particular mother, her strength comes from God.
The 52-year-old is the owner of the registered online business – Imperfect Treasures.
In her humble three bedroom house in Banaras, Lautoka, is a roster which her three youngest children follow to assist her and her husband Kiniviliame Waqairawai, 59, around the home.
Mr Waqairawai is an insurance advisor with BSP Life.
The couple have six boys and six girls. Four of their children are married and have settled down with their families, one is looking after the family’s yaqona plantation at Joma Village, Kadavu, two are working in Suva, one is working in Sigatoka, one is happily married and is working in New Zealand and the three youngest of the lot reside with them.
Prior to beginning her business, Ms Waqairawai was a bank officer at the ANZ Bank.
Following her resignation in 1990, the couple worked together and ventured out into opening their first internet shop, Jay Lees Internet Shop, in Lautoka from 2005 to 2007.
In 2015 and 2016 they established their first restaurant ‘Kana Mada Terrace’ in Lautoka.
Ms Waqairawai was optimistic to work and learn new things and in 2016, she worked on something unique which brought out her hidden passion for making home decorations.
She first constructed a wooden doll house and later on a wooden playing kitchen for her daughters.
Her interest built from there and this led to the establishment of her new venture in 2020.
The name ‘Imperfect Treasures’ was born out of collecting scrap wood and making it as gifts for others.
Her work is done between the hours of 9am and 3pm when her children are at school.
In between those hours, the family’s dinner table is used as her workstation and this is where the magic happens.
“So, from the imperfect pieces of wood that we collect and made home decorations out of, people treasured it, hence the name of the business,” said Ms Waqairawai.
The interest further developed when two years ago she had the courage to begin her business focusing on constructing home decoration items which she currently continues.
Feedback: nicolette.chambers@fijisun.com.fj
