In Collaboration with Ordinaire Fiji
I come from a small island in the Lomaiviti island group called Koro, far from the bright lights of the cities or even the lesser lights of a small town. Because of this my kinsmen rely on agriculture-based activities to scrape by with some money to buy the essentials such as kerosene, flour, rice, and sugar. One of these small-time commercial activities involves Copra – collecting, cutting and drying up coconut flesh before it is sold by the kilogram to buyers so go on to make virgin coconut oil.
Because of this, I have a great affinity towards plant-based local products that bring a essence of nature to us!
I had the opportunity to collaborate this piece with one such organization – Ordinaire Fiji – a growing company that produces bath soaps, as well as dog soaps, made from virgin coconut oil and plans to create more fruit and plant based products in the future.
What is their Goal?
To help Fijians go back to a natural way of living while utilizing the local resources readily available!
So where do we start? As all good stories, we start at the very beginning.
It all began with a random conversation on how our local resources and its potential has not being fully utilized, while also realizing that Fiji has declined, over the years, in health because of our over-reliance on manufactured products.
Their main motivation is to be the change they want to see!
They draw inspiration from everywhere. They strongly believe lessons can be learnt from everyone we meet and that all these lessons are valuable. They give this advice to people who have the idea and drive to start a business, saying that mentorship is incredibly important in order for a successful venture. They also advice aspiring business owners to check with the Ministry of Trade and Investment Fiji for counsel and help with starting up a venture.
They offer the same for anyone looking for mentorship or advice! They want to share the ideas they have had and the resources in their disposal. This is a testament to their vow to help and support local businesses as well.
What are their thoughts for the future?
Ordinaire Fiji believe that Fiji and Pacific brands can and will be recognized on a global scale which is why they are looking at ventures and partnerships as vehicles to ride this future wave of opportunities. They are also focusing on expanding their product line with the promise of sharing unique blends!
I asked what advice Ordinaire Fiji wished they had been given before they started their entrepreneurial journey.
In some deep zen stuff that wouldn’t be out of place in a meditation journal they said they would advise anyone to not follow the traditional path, be patient, take risks, do what makes you happy. If you not happy with what you are doing, you won’t be successful. And lastly, though equally important, learn basic finance!
If you enjoyed this article as much as I did and you’re wanting to catch a glimpse of what Ordinaire Fiji has to offer in advice, products and ideas then head over to their Facebook page!
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Alfred Tora 
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