Baskets woven by women in Morobe Province have made their way to Port Moresby through the resourcefulness of a young Papua New Guinean woman and the POM City Markets.
A 26-year-old, Delta-May Kamano was the winner of a free stall at the August Markets where she marketed products from women in her community, which, otherwise have little opportunity to make sales in Lae.
“I started this operation in June because I saw mothers struggling to sell their baskets. They carry them on their backs, walking for miles hoping to find buyers and on a good day they will sell three to five,” Ms Kamano explained.
She said the exposure and networking opportunity that the POM City Markets provided her was an empowering experience, getting to meet fellow entrepreneurs in similar business and consultants from the POM City Markets Resource Hub.
Momase Baskets comprises of just over 20 women weavers who all reside in the 4 Mile area in Lae, which Delta says is known for its criminal elements and young women in prostitution. She hopes this project will help to curb these activities.
Pascoe Promotions Director Sylvia Pascoe said achieving this was a huge milestone.
Ms Pascoe said: “Our slogan is ‘more than a market, we're a movement’. This is the people's markets, our development, and the shared development of SME’s around the country is because of the people's support. Because of people coming together we had Momase Baskets here.”
With accommodation for Ms Kamano sponsored by the Sanctuary Hotel and the public supporting through the purchase of branded T-shirts.
Ms Pascoe said it is clear that the people want to support anyone that is trying to build small business and help entire communities to earn around the country.
She said going forward, there will be business support programs that can be accessed by people like Ms Kamano who are running a social enterprise.
“Working with groups like Advancing Women PNG and inspired by marketers at POM City Markets paving the way for supply chains from village to export, we are going to be able to get people like Delta, into a system that will make business from village to export easier and more efficient and profitable for everyone.
All PNG-owned, no middle man eating up most of the profits, real results straight into the pockets of families around the country,” Ms Pascoe added.