Creativity is intelligence having fun.
This famous adage by Albert Einstein best describes the life skills of Suliasi Nasau, the man Fijians who use the internet have come to call ‘the FMF roti curry’ seller.
Unknown to many, the Korovou, Tavua man decided to put his marketing skills to good use and earn an income for his family during the COVID-19 crisis.
For 20 odd years, Suliasi worked as a marketing specialist.
His work required him to market hardware products of a renowned local store.
But the pandemic changed things around and left him in a dilemma.
Like any other Fijian family, finding employment became a challenge and his family had to suffer the consequences.
Selling roti was not something he easily settled for, however, he swallowed his pride and later took up the offer.
Suliasi encountered challenges along the way but he clung on his small roti business with the belief that he would one day earn more income from it.
“With the help of my wife, we decided to make roti parcels which I would sell in Tavua Town,” an elated Suliasi shared.
“But selling the parcels alone was a struggle because there wasn’t much movement and the local borders were mostly closed.
“One day I was selling in town when an idea crossed my mind — to make up a song I could sing when selling these parcels to customers in Tavua and nearby districts.”
As luck would have it, the trick worked out well.
He included ‘Flour Mills of Fiji’ in his song because it was a household name.
The other lyrics in the song were mainly created from his visualisation of customers in Tavua and how he would entice them to buy roti parcels.
With the help of a relative, the famous ‘Andu Bull Maa’ song was released on Facebook earlier this year.
“To my surprise, I started having customers from Suva and other parts of Fiji passing by Tavua and stopping over to buy roti.
“The trick worked. I was able to sell 30 parcels a day for $2 each, with home-made kumquat juice.”
Suliasi says the ‘trick of the trade’ is in the song and when he sings, it lifts customers’ spirits and they buy his roti.
From his earnings, Suliasi gives a tenth to the church and uses the rest on his family’s needs.
“I receive negative feedbacks at times, I’ve been asked why I am selling roti being a man and a father?
“But it is never going to belittle my love for this new found job because it has given me enough reasons to earn for my family.
“From selling roti, I discovered that whatever little I do, I need to be faithful in it because the reward will come by when I put my heart into everything I do.”
