Breaking business barriers
ALUMITA Tuila and her husband, Navitalai Veitala are living testaments of the adage “anything is possible in the islands”.
They are the proud owners of the Goodness Investment Bakery in Galoa Village, Kadavu that was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, this week.
What started with producing nine loaves of bread in one batch in a small oven, Mrs Veitala, through the assistance of the Coalition Government’s Human Resource Development Programme under the Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs, received $10,000 in funding for her project, and a further $5,000 was secured through the Fiji Development Bank’s Women Entrepreneurs Loan Package.
Now, she produces close to 40 loaves in one batch where three batches are baked in a day, feeding 150 households with freshly baked bread.
Mrs Veitala explained that in four months of operation, they were able to earn more than $7,000, allowing them to pay off their $5,000 loan with FDB. They have also become employers for the villagers, having three staff on hand that contribute to the run ning of the business.
“The grant was indeed a great blessing and has greatly improved the quality and quantity of services, contributing to the improvement in the status of our island village community,” she said.
DPM Kamikamica acknowledged the perseverance put in the establishment of Goodness Investment Bakery and commended the couple for breaking business barriers in the maritime islands, especially for a village like Galoa, that was located far from the centralised Vunisea area.
“Since the purchase of the bakery equipment and implements, I am pleased to hear that Mrs Veitala has been able to increase her supply of bread to the people of Kadavu.”
“She is an inspiration to many women entrepreneurs in the Eastern Division, proving that if you are determined, then there is no obstacle too difficult to overcome,” DPM Kamikamica said.
He also encouraged budding entrepreneurs to explore the possible assistance that they can receive from Government to help build their businesses. “Please reach out to us with your business
proposals to see if it meets the requirements of our grant programmes - there is also available financing with our stakeholders such as the FDB that offers loan packages for MSME ventures. The ministry also offers various business training programmes to help turn your ideas into profitable business ventures.”