By Ezra Toara

Copyright dailypost

For more than two decades, artist and entrepreneur Rebecca Bule has woven culture, creativity, and resilience into her work. Based between Malekula and Pentecost, Ms Bule runs Rebecca’s Handicraft Shop, a small business that showcases her talents as a tailor, designer, and painter.

She also connects her family’s traditional weaving skills with modern market demand. Her shop, which also operates on Facebook, specialises in handmade baskets and mats produced by her family in Malekula and Pentecost.

What sets her products apart is the value she adds through design—drawing inspiration from Vanuatu’s natural attractions such as volcanoes, or tailoring patterns to customer requests.

Bule began her business journey in the early 2000s after leaving her role as a community mediator in 1999.

Before venturing fully into business, she spent years running training programmes in her community, teaching people to be self-reliant by using their God-given skills and talents.

“I have always believed in living through the skills God has blessed me with,” she said. “That’s what I pass on to my children as well. Education is important, but at the end of the day, there are not enough jobs for everyone. We must also learn to be self-reliant and self-employed.”

Her children now assist in the handicraft business, gaining both practical experience and cultural knowledge.

For this mother, the work is as much about survival as it is about heritage. She calls on parents across Vanuatu to teach their children traditional skills such as weaving and carving, ensuring these practices—and the cultural identity they embody—are passed on to future generations. “Every time we talk about Vanuatu Made, we must remember that if the skills are not passed down, they will disappear,” she said.

For Bule, the strength of Vanuatu lies in its culture and identity, expressed through products made from natural resources. Each basket and mat sold through her shop carries not only craftsmanship but also a message of resilience, heritage, and the importance of empowering the next generation.