Covid-19 disturbs artist’s income

COVID-19 has affected a local woman’s sale of her traditional design paintings.
Rose Kaipu of Kama in Balimo, Western, has not been able to sell her paintings after increased cases of Covid-19 forced the restriction of international flights into Papua New Guinea.
“I used to make K1,000 a day before Covid-19 restriction which covers all my expenses like school fees and daily needs,” she said.
She said her main customers were tourists. “But because of increase in Covid-19 cases and the government’s restriction on international flights, I don’t have customers,” Kaipu said.
Kaipu said she came to Port Moresby to seek better health and education services for her children and to earn a living.
She said selling paintings was her main way of generating an income which had been impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions.
“I can sit the whole day and go back home without a single return,” Kaipu said.
“But because I need to survive I have to continue the next day, if it means to carry my paintings and walk to the market I will do that.”
Kaipu said she did not attend arts and craft school or receive any training but learnt her skills from her ex-husband.
She said she spent K300 on the paints, brushes and other items she needed to paint.