Viliame Ravai
11 May, 2021, 10:15 am
Nasigavou Semiti, 11, is selling rourou or taro leaves so that when school starts for term two, he won’t have to rely on his parents for stationery and school needs. Picture: VILIAME RAVAI
If there is one positive thing that COVID-19 has done, it is this.
The containment measures and lockdowns have motivated people to explore ways and means to earn and contribute towards their households. Nasigavou Semiti is a good example of this.
After observing his parents and elders from the village harvest their crops and transport them to the Sawani containment border to trade with middlemen, he decided to try his hand at it.
Fred Wesley
IMAGE: THE FIJI TIMES
Bula vinaka
We start off this briefing with a special Happy Mother’s day to all our mums around the country.
We hope you have a memorable day and find some happy moments to treasure.
Here are some of the stories that made headlines in The Sunday Times’ edition for May 9.
Mother of six reunited with family
The big one on Page 1 is linked to Mother’s day. A mother of six who was stranded in Suva for two weeks was finally reunited with her family members today.
Ivamere Marama after giving birth to her newborn daughter at the CWM Hospital in Suva could not return to her family because of the imposed travel restrictions.
7 May, 2021, 8:30 pm
Narkish Chand, a taxidriver in Suva, has turned to driving his taxi from the Sawani border in Naitasiri to support his family.
The 57-year-old said after spending two weeks at home because of containment areas, he decided to drive from the Sawani border.
“I live in the Nausori containment zone with my family so I couldn’t go to drive taxi from my base which is in Suva,” he said.
“The income from the taxi was the only way for me to feed my family and for the past two weeks I have been staying at home because I couldn’t drive from another base in Nausori.”
Jale Daucakacaka
5 May, 2021, 6:15 pm
Chinese farmers gave vegetables and rootcrops for those facing hard times during this COVID-19 crisis. Picture: SUPPLIED
The Fiji Chinese community is always ready to assist in times of crisis, says Chinese Association of Fiji president Jenny Seeto after Dongguan farmers in the Sawani, Nausori and Tamavua areas gave fresh produce to the Ministry of Health’s food ration effort.
“These farmers have donated assorted vegetables, mainly cabbages, beans, lettuce, coriander, dalo and tavioka to the ministry, Colonial War Memorial Hospital, St Giles Psychiatric Hospital, as well as Dilkusha Home and aged care facilities,” she said.
Jale Daucakacaka
4 May, 2021, 8:30 pm
Kinisimere Rokowati a vendor at the Raiwaqa market staking pineapple at her stall yesterday.Picture:ATU RASEA
KINISIMERE Rokowati claims the Central Division market vendors are being held at ransom by middlemen who are taking advantage of border restrictions caused by the recent COVID-19 outbreak.
The Nabukaluka, Waimaro, Naitasiri lass and her father have been vendors in Raiwaqa for the past 20 years and claimed prices charged by farmers and middlemen had reached an all-time high since the Health Ministry established containment zones between Suva and Nausori.
“We buy our produce from the Sawani and Lami borders and were shocked when farmers and middlemen gave us their prices but we had no other choice but to buy it as we need to make a living as well,” she said.