SELINA Lee Wah wishes she could hit the jackpot big time and spend her prizemoney on rescuing lives from poverty.
Living in a division with the highest incidence of poverty in Fiji stirred the heart of this former ANZ Bank officer.
For the past 40 years, the 62-year-old grandmother has been a bridge between aid donors, the Government and those who desperately need help.
Explaining her passion for community service, Mrs Lee Wah said struggling from early in life and a prayer card from Mother Theresa motivated her.
"I actually received a parcel containing a rosary, two medals and a prayer card with her picture and signature and this has been a great motivation for my work," she said.
"Since I retired from the bank in 2002, I have worked full-time with the poor."
Mrs Lee Wah works with squatters living along the fringes of Labasa town, the disabled and families struggling to care for mentally-challenged members.
As a self-motivated charity worker, she relies on her pension money to fund most of her activities.
"I identify families and liaise with donor agencies or government departments about the assistance the family needs," she said. "Most times they're families that need food."
Other times it's about arranging for families to have a proper water supply.
"Many are illiterate and bewildered about making such arrangements.
"Some can't afford the discounted price of $20 for a water connection," she said.
"Many times I hit walls with churches and organisations that don't want to help. At times I want to give up because I have little to offer myself," she said. "But I realise it's my caring heart they need - this gives me the strength."
One case that reduced her to tears was that of mentally challenged brothers, Avnil and Shavnil Kumar, who she found tied underneath their Boca Loop Road house.
Her other works include unpaid services for church committees, as a member of Labasa Hospital's board of visitors and as a Justice of the Peace.
