Father-of-three Jona turns weaving hobby into business

JONA Yoyo, 54, from Ialibu in Southern Highlands has been weaving cane baskets since he was a young man, and transport them to Port Moresby to sell.
Yoyo said it takes him three to four months to make a single basket.
However, he said it depends on the size.
“The prices range from K30 to K1,000,” he said.
Yoyo is married with three children and loves to weave cane baskets as a hobby.
When he started weaving baskets, he would collect the raw materials from the bush at his village.
“Today, I pay for the cane from other people to weave the baskets. It has been a very expensive exercise,” he said.
Yoyo, with the help of his wife, would transport the baskets from Mendi via Mt Hagen to Port Moresby to sell.
“The plane fare is K700 which we can afford but the freight of the baskets is very costly,” he said.
He has been renting a place at Tabari and has been selling his baskets from Monday to Saturday.
“I pay rent and also labour fees to people who help us do delivery of materials I need to make the baskets,” he said.
The money he earns from selling depends on the number of customers.
“In the past, I could make K2,000 within a fortnight,” he said.
“Today, I pay fees to secure a spot to sell my baskets. Many times I go home disappointed because I did not make enough money”.