‘Safe space for women’
Vunikura opens car wash business
AFAMILIAR face in local women’s rugby is now the owner of a car wash run entirely by women.
Ivanancy Vunikura’s business, called the ‘Hula Girls car wash’, was opened last Monday and so far it has become ‘a hit’.
Based at the corner of Shalimar St in Raiwasa, Hula Girls offer fullservice 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Ms Vunikura represented the country in a number of sports and now want’s to venture into business.
She scooped gold in powerlifting during the 2007 South Pacific Games in Samoa. She also represented Fiji in women’s rugby and had played for the Fijiana team.
“I represented Fiji both in sevens and fifteens rugby some ten years ago when women’s rugby was just taking off,” she said.
“Then, many people did not like women playing rugby and looked down on us but look where Fijiana is now.”
In 2011, she joined the Fiji Voyaging Society and later got employed to sail by the Okeanos Foundation for the Sea.
“I got to work on board the 72-foot Uto Ni Yalo canoe and had an amazing time touring the world and promoting the sailing culture and ocean conservation,” she said.
She said the name of her car wash was given to her as a nickname by her friends.
“People ask me if I can do the hula but I tell them I just love to make people laugh with my hula dance moves.”
Ms Vunikura currently manages a team of aspiring women ruggers who play for the Fiji Marist Women’s Rugby Club. She has since employed two female players to work for her part-time.
“This is a safe space for women so I employ girls from the club who want some pocket money.
“I told my two girls they can
TODAY - 2.30pm 6pm 8.50pm Fri - 2.30pm 5pm
TODAY - 10.30am 5.20pm
TODAY - 11.30am work part-time for their pocket money and also focus on their rugby.
TODAY - 10.30am 12.30pm 2pm 4pm 5.30pm 7.30pm 9pm
TODAY - 8.30pm
TODAY - 5.30pm
TODAY - 5.20pm
TODAY - 10.30am
Fri - 1.30pm 8.30pm
Both her car was attendants are currently training to be part of the Fijiana team. They do
TODAY - 10.30am 12pm 2pm 4pm 6.30pm 8pm 9pm
TODAY - 12.30pm 3.30pm their rugby training early in the morning and then start work after their trainings.
The 35-year-old said despite her lack of knowledge of the car washing industry, she was determined to prove people wrong.
“We started with just the basics of washing a car and we took on tips from drivers on how specific areas should be washed and how to do it.
“This reminds me of when I first started sailing, we too had to learn the basics until we were ready to go out to the world.”
She said support from her business partner Yoshiko Wakaniyasi and regular customers had helped in the team’s growth.
“The support so far has been wonderful and some taxidrivers even come back to tell us that we were doing a great job.”
Ms Vunikula said she did not dream of one day owning her own business.
“I like being my own boss and to be an independent woman as well — it’s wonderful because now people can see that women can do it too.”
She said she would like to employ more women in the future and would continue to encourage more women to take up rugby in their free-time.
We started with just the basics of washing a car and we took on tips from drivers on how specific areas should be washed and how to do it
– Ivanancy Vunikura