Green fingers and a lover of herbs, Elizabeth Cabealawa has always enjoyed gardening and what nature provides everyday.
While she may have grown up in Nepani, the outskirts of Suva, in a typical Fijian extended family environment, Ms Cabealawa has a fondness for life outside the busy and bustling city and town.
The 30-year-old from Daliconi, Vanuabalavu and mother of two young girls said her late aunt and mom were a huge influence in her life.
She said her passion for gardening developed because of her late aunt as she lived on a farm and was required to plant vegetables for consumption and would also sell the rest to her workmates.
Cabealawa and her family relocated to Maui Bay in late 2020 and that’s when she decided to hassle her way back into planting, a life saver during the midst of the pandemic.
“That’s basically what we survived on during lockdown. I don’t only plant herbs, I also plant vegetables for our own consumption and to distribute amongst our neighbours and it’s also a fun activity for our girls,”she said. Her life experiences and passion led her to open her business, ‘Maui Herbs’, in March this year.
A plan which was in the windmill for some years finally took off for Ms Cabealawa.
“Now I juggle between being a mum, planting, marketing so I’m basically a one-man operation mainly because of the personal touch required.
“We started out small, around 10 square metres, however now that we know where our market is our plot areas will be expanded.
“My retail outlet is currently at The Projects Collective (Fiji) at The Beachouse on the Coral Coast and many other outlets have expressed genuine interest in mutually beneficial arrangements.”
Ms Cabealawa plants various herbs such as basil, Cuban Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Lemon Basil and Thai Basil.
“I get up early, harvest quite early, wash the herbs and prepare it for drying, then there’s packaging, labelling, deliveries between preparing meals for children and school drop offs etc.
“It’s our intent to grow the market by way of awareness, as many local home cooks have little or no experience with herbs.”
She said she relished the activity and takes it a day at a time while also being involved with activities within Maui Bay.
“For example we have a meditation group I’m a part of, then there’s our upcoming Maui Bay Market day scheduled for August, which will become a regular event.
“Then, as a family we find ourselves quite involved in the welfare of horses in our area.”
She said the business provided an opportunity to do something for herself while being in charge of her own destiny.
“It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop make money doing something you enjoy,” Ms Cabealawa said.
