Those Crafty Fijian Mamas

Hello my dear craft-loving friends.

This week marks a lovely milestone for women across Fiji, as we celebrate the first National Women’s Expo, here in Suva.

You see, for the first time ever, Suva is hosting a massive Fiji-wide handicraft (all things handmade) fair to celebrate the beautiful talents of the local women of these islands.

Fiji is such a beautiful country, but it still has a long way to go in appreciating its women. 

There are not a lot of opportunities for women living in more rural parts of the country, so an opportunity to showcase and sell their handmade wares is rare and wonderful!

The expat community only heard about this fun event last night.  

Thanks to Facebook, the word got out quickly and we were all there to shop and support these mamas today. 

Here is what they had to offer!

 Color, color, color... I can never get enough of fun colors!

Notice the shy-smiles?

I come from a land that's currently selfie-obsessed, while these ladies were very hesitant to have their picture taken at all.  Sweet humility.

Is this the cutest thing ever?  

I had to remind myself that we will be here for three years, so there was no need to buy every single thing that I instantly loved! 

I did come home with a SaluSalu, which has been on my list since we arrived.

It's meaning is similar to the Hawaiian Lei, but instead of fresh flowers, these are carefully hand-made from coconut trees!
(No, I won't be sporting it daily to the local markets, it's going to be used for home decor!)

I also bought these fun beaded necklaces that are made from recycled materials.

On a green note, Fijian crafts are made almost entirely of natural or recycled goods.  

We don't have access to a Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's or Walmart (go ahead and gasp), so you use whatever you can get your hands on.

It's true creativity!

I’m thrilled that an event such as this is happening here in Fiji.  

With recent emerging concepts such as Noonday Collection and World Vision Micro, our eyes are being opened to ways that we can truly touch the world with our spending choices.

We can be responsible consumers.

Instead of shopping at your local mall, how about spending your cash in a way that directly puts food on someone else’s table? 

That’s buying with a purpose, so I’m all in!

To read more about how your purchase choices can greatly affect wonderful women across the globe, read Jen Hatmaker’s recent blog post, “Women Hold Up Half the Sky”.

As always, thanks so much for tuning into my little glimpse of life. 

Blessings!