Niuafo'ou Trade Fair opens in Nuku‘alofa [1]
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 - 16:30. Updated on Friday, October 3, 2014 - 16:34.
Fine handicrafts from the remote island of Niuafo'ou offered at a two day Trade Fair that opened in Nuku'alofa today, are being quickly snapped up by an appreciative public.
The Funga Vai Lahi Niua Trade Fair from Niuafo‘ou was opened at lunchtime by Hon. Halaevalu Moheofo Tuita at the Matakava Estate, on Vuna Road, close to the International Dateline Hotel.
Today over a third of the finely woven waist mats and kiekies were sold immediately after the opening ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister Hon. Dr Feleiti Sevele and the Minister for Transportation Hon. Paul Karalus.
The trade fair is held by a group of six people who with funding from the New Zealand High Commission were able to travel to the capital Nuku‘alofa from the northern island of Niuafo'ou.
Penisimani Tonga, the leader of the group, said today that they had sold $2,000 worth of items created and made by themselves and various women's groups in Niuafo‘ou. The items included different types of finely woven waist mats such as the lokeha, falavala, fanakio, bags woven from the fau and made from coconut shells as well as woven fans, with a total worth of over $6,000.
"This is not the first time we have done this. Niuafo‘ou has been a regular participant of the annual Pasifiki Trade Show held in Nuku‘alofa since 2000," Penisimani said.
During the opening ceremony the group was also awarded a $1,000 cheque from MoneyGram International Money Transfer of the Westpac Bank of Tonga.
The group with return to Niuafo‘ou with their earnings on Friday.
Kololiana Naufahu a representative of the Tonga Chamber of Commerce is the local organizer of the Niua Trade fair in Nuku‘alofa.