Value addition of oil into lotion and soap training for Malekula villagers

January 4, 2024 4:20 am | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Glenda Willie.

A local business owner named Victorine Carlot, who runs a small business called Victorine Vanuatu Coconut Oil (VVCO), is currently in Norsup, Malekula. She is conducting a two-day training session starting today, teaching people how to turn coconut oil into soap and body lotion.

Mrs. Carlot, originally from Malekula, operates her business in Erakor village. She produces bathing soap, body lotion, and shampoo.

Last year, she spent five months on Lamap, where she offered free training on making soap from coconut to interested participants. Unfortunately, the outcomes were not positive. However, after receiving positive feedback at the Agriculture show on Malekula and the Trade Show in Port Vila, she was motivated to share her skills with interested women.

Despite the New Year’s festivities, Mrs. Carlot traveled to Malekula to conduct the training. She is charging a reasonable fee of VT500 for the training, which will take place from 8am to 12pm. The fee will be used to purchase materials for the training.

Mrs. Carlot believes that Malekula, with its many coconut plantations, has the potential for people to generate income by applying the skills she will share during the training.

She believes the coconut is one unique tree and describes the flesh of a dry coconut as the “heart” of the coconut plant.

All her products are made from coconut. She produces virgin coconut oil and another of her oil product, she adds ginger, curry, aloe vera, charcoal, vanilla, lemon leaves, and lemongrass. She also adds colour to her bathing soap and body lotion.

She added that what also inspired her to teach other women to tap into this kind of business is because many of her customers have testified how the oil, lotion, and soap have made changes to their bodies.

The soap and oil have many health benefits. They can cure skin diseases such as scabies, sores, and ringworm, get rid of lice and refreshes skin, to name a few. Those with sensitive skin are encouraged to use these soaps. Virgin coconut oil also reduces hunger when consumed and helps to burn fats. 

Another customer applied the oil to sores and rash on her children and they were cured within two days.

The soap and the oil go together when applying them in the body. The Virgin oil can also be consumed.

Mrs. Carlot plans to extend her training sessions to additional areas in Malekula and other islands due to the requests she has received.