For over 16 years, Sereima Basaga has been a vendor at the Sigatoka Municipal Market. While the type of work she does is often looked down upon, the Nakasaleka, Kadavu woman enjoys every moment in the market.
A former hotel manager on Kadavu, she doesn not regret her decision to run a market stall saying it allowed her to be her own boss.
“I have been here for more than 10 years,” she said.
“I see selling in the market as a blessing in disguise. “All we need is to persevere and be smart about the way we run the business.”
The 67-year-old said she learned a lot over the years, especially so from her Indo-Fijian market brothers and sisters.
“Our business thrives when we learn from them and have conversations with them on how to spend wisely and save money.”
She said if someone lacked business widom the business would not operate well.
“There are some who think that what I have is just a market table, I think otherwise and count it as a serious business.
“The good thing about being a market vendor is I get to manage my own business and become my own boss.
“I get to decide on my own working hours, and have a say in when I want to open and close shop.
“No one calls the shots in my business. Even if I make a loss, no one would judge me but myself. Ms Basaga sells at the Sigatoka Market six days a week.
“I sell my vegetable produce and yaqona from Monday to Saturday. Sunday is my rest day. She doesn’t have much land to farm on so she depends on suppliers for her daily source of produce. One of the challenges she faced was finding someone to help her. She doesn’t have any children and her husband has passed on. But that hasn’t discourage her a bit.
“Having a market business has provided me with an income to pay for food, bills and things I need at home.”
Ms Basaga has to walk from her home to the main road on Sigatoka Valley Road to catch a transport.
“I leave home at 6.00am and would return at 5pm. “I normally earn between $400 to $500 a week and some days I earn as much as $600.
“I also have other plans like opening a canteen in the future.” Through hard work Ms Basaga has been able to pay off her lease and now feels secure about the future.
“I am grateful that my land lease waas paid off last year. “Now I just enjoy coming to the market to sell and make all my valued customers happy.”