Francisca Kotti unleashes her creativity through the art of traditional shell money making.
At a very young age at her home village in Langalanga Lagoon, Malaita province, Francisca was taught the art of shell money crafting by her parents. She was hooked on to the activity of creating shell money out of seashells with other specialised craftswomen in her village.
Francisca has not lost her fascination with seashells and continues to sell and make display of her finished products at her home resident at Vavaya Ridge in Central Honiara.
She sources colourful shells from the coast of Langalanga Lagoon. Her speciality is making local jewelleries and traditional shell money out of shells.
“Ever since I started crafting seashells, I have been specialised in crafting a variety of shell products such as shell money, necklaces, bracelets and other handmade jewelleries,” she told Solomon Women.
She says her obsession to start her small income generating activity initially begun in her teens after she saw the demand of shell money products was high in the country and more especially in Honiara.
“I normally sell my shell products to my close friends and relatives in Malaita province. The significant profits earned from selling my crafted products at Auki market prompted me to move to Honiara with my family to start our private business here,” she said.
Francisca confirmed that coming to Honiara was not quite easy but she managed to adjust to the business climate here.
“I had to make money from betel nut and cigarette sales in order to buy the right type of tools to engage in my shell-based creations,” she said.
She says most her customers from the public and private sector including close friends and relatives in Honiara.
“I normally craft my products based on the requests or orders of my customers. The most ordered products are the necklaces and traditional shell money,” she said.
She described herself as an open-minded person.
“Am the type of women who is open up to everyone. I love to meet new people, learn new things and mostly love making new friends. This is how I grab my customers,” she said.
Besides this obsession with shells, Francisca is also interested in the marketing of betel – nuts and other tobacco products.
