Tela Thrives On Her Newfound Passion For Art And Craft

Maraia Tela wanted a peace­ful life after her retire­ment, so she made it hap­pen.

The 58-year-old hails from Dalico­ni Village, Vanuabalavu, Lau Prov­ince and is a retired ship hostess.

She realised her passion for art and craft after retiring three years ago.

“I worked for Patterson Brothers Shipping Company admin section for most of my life. Later I became a ship hostess which I fulfilled while working and studying,” said the mother of two children.

“I spent three years of my life on the ship. And after retiring I did miss my job.

“Out of boredom I realised my passion for art and craft. I stayed home and came up with ideas to help me pass time.

“My mum used to make crochet items, but sadly I wasn’t keen about it. I was more of an outdoor person; I loved sports.

“To my surprise, making crochet items was a lot of fun and I fell in love with it,” she said.

Ms Tela thought life would be bor­ing after retirement because she wouldn’t have much to do.

Now she is living life at her best and loves it.

Her business has become her only source of income.

“Everything I’ve learned was through the internet and it has as­sisted me a lot to get me to where I am today. I still use the internet to broaden my knowledge,” she said.

“This business is not only a source of income, but it’s my passion, it gets me through my days,” she said.

She said a lack of education was always a fear, but after realising her talents, she forged ahead.

Ms Tela makes crochet feet warm­ers, scarfs, sofa sets, earrings and also makes art pieces.

She can be contacted on her number 8060585 and emailed on mahtela@google.com.

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