What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, the wisdom goes.

For Valerie Cauchi Inglott, 75, it was her victory over cancer 25 years ago, a victory that she dedicated to beadwork. The self-taught activity turned into a passion that made her stronger than the deadly disease.

Today, Cauchi Inglott is a proud jewellery designer and producer, who cannot wait to get back to the market to showcase her creations, as she used to do prior to the pandemic.

"Beadwork is an art. It's not just threading. It is work with stitches," said the designer as she stretches her hands, as if pleading to God in whom she trusts.

Her slightly round and radiant face is partly covered by a visor illuminated by a table lamp during the delicate beadwork she composes in her kitchen.

"I take time at 7pm every day for one hour and a half to do my work," she said. Her routine is divided between threading and stitching and caring for her disabled husband.

The two have been married for 55 years and Cauchi Inglott views her dedication to the father of her two children as part of their love story.

"I help him to do his physical exercises four times a day among other things. It's only then that I can concentrate on my work," said Cauchi Inglott as she displays on the table some of her creations.

"I make only originals, no more than six items by design. Sometimes I create only one piece for special occasions like weddings at the request of a client."

Necklaces, earrings, bracelets, hand bags are some of the items the designer proudly exposes for my camera. "But currently there's no more income because people are not going out as often as they used to."

The loss of revenue from tourism, not to mention the local clientele, has dealt a hefty blow to the artisan sector.

The chief Operations officer of the Ta' Qali Artisan Village Foundation, Elton Micallef said that a particular company registered a 95% loss in revenue, plummeting from €710,000  in August-December 2019  to €29,000 in September-December 2020.

The sector has survived thanks to the economic relief provided by government and a media campaign promoting the habit of buying local.

"The pandemic has given the nation an important lesson," said Micallef. "Local craftsmanship should be given more importance by promoting it with the locals and not only with the touristic sector. Artisans have also learnt that having locals as part of the audience is very important for their business."

For Cauchi Inglott, who needs more exposure to sell more, having additional local consumers would not only be an economic gain, but also a question of pride. "I have my work in Japan and in Monaco. "But what about Malta?"