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Meet 60-year-old Karalaini Likutabua, from the village of Lekutulevu in Vaturova of the Province of Cakaudrove in Fiji. Karalaini is an expert iTaukei basket weaver, who started to learn how to weave baskets from her mother since she was only 8 years old.
“When I weave, it’s like she’s right here next to me and we are weaving baskets together and keeping this tradition alive,” said Karailani.
She now weaves traditional baskets or “wa mere” for a living, selling her products to tourists at the markets, handicraft fairs and expos, and to local resorts and hotels.
“This is the main source of income for our family. From that we’re able to pay for school fees, church contributions, obligations for the vanua (traditional village obligations), and everyday needs of our families.”
Karalaini has won many national awards for her basket weaving skills and continues to pass on this and many other skills to her daughter and daughter-in-law who enjoy weaving “wa mere” baskets with Karailani.
At least 60,000 Fijians, including women artisans like Karalaini, are expected to benefit from the USD 200 million Fiji Tourism Development Program in Vanua Levu supported by the World Bank. The program aims to develop resilient and sustainable tourism infrastructure and services in Vanua Levu—the second largest island in Fiji. This project will run over a ten-year period and aims to make Vanua Levu a more attractive and sustainable place for tourists while also benefiting local communities.