Capacity building and marketing for Indigenous SMEs in the Pacific with MWT
I work with SMEs regularly because of my job at a development organisation. I am also the volunteer coordinator for Melanesian Women Today based in Fiji. There has been a trend in Fiji where foreigners from developed countries like Australia, the US, and parts of Europe approach indigenous Fijian women and attempt to sell their traditional products for them. In many cases, foreign middlemen make big promises to indigenous Fijian market vendors about massive sales and access to the international markets.
For instance, a few weeks ago, I visited one of my favourite market vendors to buy a basket bag. While I was looking through the bags at her stall, two American women approached her and introduced themselves as salespeople who sell traditional products for indigenous vendors across the Pacific region. They presented themselves as foreigners who care deeply about traditional products and knowledge. The market vendor thanked them for their interest in her work.
The two American women then told the market vendor that there is a ‘catch’ – they expected the market vendor to drastically reduce her prices by almost 50%. To put this into perspective, it takes one week for the market vendor to weave a large basket bag which sells for FJD 80 ( USD $40). The women asked the market vendor to sell the large basket bags to them for only FJD 50 or less. They told the market vendor that her prices are too high to be sold internationally. Anyone who uses social media apps regularly would know that this is exploitation. Traditional products such as basket bags, mats, and masi sell for much higher prices overseas. Many indigenous Fijian women who make these products lack the capacity and confidence to become their own salespeople in order to market their products across social media platforms. Foreign business people have obviously noted this technological gap and taken advantage of it.
The indigenous Fijian vendors who make our traditional products deserve respect, recognition, and financial compensation for their work. These women spend their lives working on their specialty and craft. Indigenous women carry the ancient knowledge and wisdom of our ancestors in their work. Through traditional product production - our culture, customs, and language are being preserved.
We, as customers, and indigenous Pacific Islanders can do our part by buying these products directly from the people who spend their lives weaving, painting, and making them. Melanesian Women Today is working to bridge the technological gap by building the capacity of indigenous vendors to create their own business pages across social media platforms. You can support our work by sharing this article and helping us raise awareness.
For indigenous market vendors who are interested in capacity building and marketing, please like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. We also have a private FaceBook group for indigenous market vendors to connect, share their stories and also so we can keep up with their work and progress. Here’s the link. Melanesian Women Today hopes to build the capacity of indigenous women and market their products through our work and network.
By Talei Caucau - MWT Fiji Coordinator
