Aloe vera business thrives in Port Moresby

The National National
Freda David with her Aloe Vera Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Honey Gel and Aloe Vera Cold Pressed Oil and some fresh aloe Vera plant products at her back yard in 8-Mile, NCD. Picture Courtesy of Thomas Dilu.

By THOMAS DILU
SELF-TAUGHT, self-motivated and commitment are the three virtues that kept Freda David thriving in a competitive market like Port Moresby.
The 33-year-old mother of two boys, Theophilus (10) and Winston (3), manages her cosmetic SME business, selling aloe vera gel for hair growth and aloe vera coconut oil for skin care through being self-taught.
“My dad loved aloe vera for its medical use. Because he was a former health extension officer he used aloe juice extracts whenever he needed; that was when we were kids.
So the idea came after her dad’s passing in 2019.
“Pukum’s Aloe Vera Products (PAVP) is my small business registered with the IPA in 2022,” she said.
The National caught up with her at a pop-up market at Rangeview Plaza, Waigani selling her products of AloeVera Cold Pressed Oil, AloeVera Coconut Oil, and AloeVera Nim Oil, and few of woven bilums she made herself.
Selling at K20 is a 100ml (milliliters) and K10 for 50ml spray bottles of aloe vera products either oil or gel with a different organic ingredient.
“On a good day, I can make K100 or more and on a bad day we go back home with only K20 or nothing at all,” she stated.