You might have taken a fancy to the fish parcels sold at Natovi Jetty.
But behind the easy, crispy bite of fish is a story of sheer hard work by women whose days begin long before dawn.
While Fiji sleeps, women living near the Tailevu jetty are already awake and on the move. By 2am, their day starts in the kitchens of their homes, preparing food parcels that will later be sold to commuters and travelers.
One woman who has lived this 2am to 10am grind is 38-year-old Akanisi Wati of Nananu Village in Tailevu.
Her journey into food vending began after she left her job working aboard an inter-island vessel.
“Being without a job and worried about supporting my family was a difficult time for me. I decided to sell food parcels,” she said.
However, working on the jetty alongside women who had never tasted paid employment was not easy. Akanisi initially looked down on her new venture and felt sorry for herself, but she soon realized that self-pity would not help her move forward.
“At first, it was difficult for me because I had a job before but I decided to go against my inner shame.”
Day after day, she persevered. She returned home with a contented heart, growing in confidence as her earnings slowly increased. In the end, her family reaped the benefits of her determination.
“I would like to tell young people never to be shy about the work they do to earn an honest living and support the family. To me that is the same as any noble profession,” she said.
Akanisi began her education journey at Natovi Primary School and completed Form 6 at Ballentine Memorial School. She never imagined that she would one day be selling food at the very place where she grew up.
“I can’t say this is the best job in the world but I can only be thankful for the opportunity to earn a living on the jetty,” she said.
“I am happy to do a job that many may look down upon because it gave me hope when I needed money to put food on the table.”
Today, Akanisi buys fish from local fishermen and other produce from local farmers. Each $10 parcel sold is more than a meal — it is an investment in three or four local families within the community.
“When I started five years ago, things were a bit different. Now I enjoy what I do because I work with other women like me, get to meet new faces each day and I love the idea of satisfying a person’s hunger.”
Natovi Jetty is more than just a melting pot of ships and people, it is a place where 30 other women like Akanisi work hard and refuse to give up each day!
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