By Avaneesh Raman.
Derived from the Latin word Augere, the month of August literally means "to increase". Certainly, this resonates well for a call out to increase awareness on a very topical subject matter of Breastfeeding. The International Breastfeeding week which is held from 1st to 7th August every year must be appreciated and celebrated.
A chilly morning in Canberra relishing a coffee and croissant combination, I reminiscence the beginning of the week on 1st August at the British High Commission Residence in Suva, Fiji. It was an evening of inspirational speakers and empowering women sharing their experiences on a subject matter that is not advocated to the extent to which it should be.
The New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, H.E. Ms Charlotte Darlow, shared her experiences on breastfeeding and highlighted on the need for requesting to create a conducive environment at work for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
The inspiration behind MAYA is Cynthia’s trials and tribulations as a breastfeeding mother and a cancer survivor. It was an emotional state of affairs as Cynthia narrated her journey of being hospitalized for 3 consecutive years, due to child loss & early stage of cervical cancer. Whilst being hospitalized, she observed that in the hospitals and even in public places, mothers and cancer patients were mostly semi-naked, unpresentable and uncomfortable.
It was the thought process which led Cynthia to create awareness about Cancer and curate a Fashion Line that is an inspiration and empowerment to women. The start-up of her online business was not easy. She linked up with a sponsor Soleya who assisted her to engage in research and sample development for her emerging Fashion Line. Attending a number of business workshops and being awarded a seed-grant funding from Pacific Greenpreneur Program, Cynthia continued to expand her business.
The amazing features of the MAYA range is that it offers hidden feeding access, covered chest and stomach accompanied by a elastic Bra support. All outfits have deep Pockets on both sides with no buttons and no zips for easy access. All the outfits are wash and wear with stretchable and presentable fabric. Cynthia was conscious of in producing an assorted range of clothing with the following unique features to help women have a more convenient life as they engage in their varied roles as a mother and entrepreneur.
Cynthia plans to collaborate with NGO's, women's groups and plans to supply to retail shops locally and internationally. Deliveries are done by EMS and Helpmate with payments handled via M.Paisa, MyCash and internet banking. Do visit the social media pages of Style Maya and create the awareness.
Many thanks to the British High Commission in Suva Fiji for kick-starting the month of August on such an inspiring note and providing the platform to the amazing women to inspire, advocate and uplift other fellow women.
Style Maya Pte Ltd is the First Breastfeeding-friendly Fashion Line in Fiji & the Pacific. Each product has unique features that empowers women to feed baby in public decently.
Website: www.stylemayafiji.com
Instagram page: style.maya.fiji
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/StyleMayaFiji
Adapted with Permission from https://theaconnection.blogspot.com/
Photos courtesy of Style Maya Fiji
About The Author.
Avaneesh Raman is commonly known as Avi among his friend circles as the A-Connector. After specialising in the field of Economics & Governance and working in the finance industry in Fiji for over 14 years, Avi pursued his career aspirations in the wider Asia Pacific region and relocated to Myanmar, Asia for a three-year consultancy project. In March 2020, amidst the global pandemic and relocating to Fiji, Avi found a true calling in his blog. His passion for photography complemented with articulate expressive yearned for a platform for projection and hence led to creation of THE A CONNECTION. Avi has as evolved both personally and professionally through his extensive travel experiences and has a passion of giving back to the community and building connections through networking and through his social media influencing skills. For more information visit: https://theaconnection.blogspot.com/
