BY JOY OFASIA
A Solomon Islands market vendors leader says regional exchanges can help women vendors improve their skills, strengthen their businesses and create new market opportunities. Honiara Market Vendors Association chairlady Moreen Sariki made the remarks in an interview with Solomon Women’s Newspaper following her participation in a Fiji expo, where she led a 10-member delegation of Solomon Islands market vendors.
The delegation travelled to Fiji to build regional connections, learn new skills and explore opportunities for greater cooperation among Pacific women vendors. Sariki said one of the main lessons she gained from the expo was seeing how women from other Pacific countries use local and natural materials to create valuable handicrafts. She said materials such as seeds, shells and tree bark, which are often overlooked or wasted in Solomon Islands, can be creatively turned into products that generate income. Sariki also highlighted the importance of learning traditional skills passed down from parents and grandparents.
She said the expo allowed the Solomon Islands delegation to see different weaving techniques and learn how other Pacific women preserve and develop traditional knowledge through their handicrafts. Beyond skills, Sariki said the expo also helped establish friendships and connections with women vendors from other Pacific countries. She said these relationships could eventually help connect Solomon Islands vendors directly with other Pacific market vendors and create opportunities for exchanging knowledge and products.
The delegation also sought feedback from customers during the expo to better understand which crafts were attractive and in demand. Sariki said the feedback would be shared with craft vendors in Solomon Islands so they can improve the quality and design of their products. Upon returning home, she said her focus would be on sharing the knowledge gained with vendors who were unable to attend the expo. “We will share the skill,” Sariki said, adding that she wants to link the vendors she represents directly with market vendors in other Pacific countries.
She also plans to share sales techniques, styles and creative ideas observed during the expo and encourage local vendors to improve their products based on customer feedback. Sariki believes regional exchanges can play an important role in improving the income and market opportunities of women working in the informal sector. She said such programmes can also encourage women to value and revive traditional skills passed down by their grandparents rather than focusing only on quick and fast production for immediate income. For Sariki, the goal is to see Solomon Islands women produce crafts that are unique, durable and of good quality. She said products should be priced according to the time, effort and quality involved in making them. Sariki said strengthening traditional skills while learning from other Pacific women could help Solomon Islands vendors become more competitive and create better opportunities for women in the informal sector.
