THE strong aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries at the Cautata Bakery is not the only thing that lures people to the village bakery, it’s also the welcoming service provided by its friendly staff.
One of those eloquent and friendly staff members is Litia Qaranivalu, the manager of the newly constructed Cautata Bakery in Bau, Tailevu.
A bakery manager for just a few weeks, Litia has proven that by simply being attentive and being appreciative of customers can go a long way in running a village business.
Litia, who has maternal and paternal links to Cautata Village, shares that it’s through her family’s guidance that she has made it this far. Litia not only runs the bakery she also juggles her studies, doing her postgraduate Diploma in Tourism and Hospitality at the University of the South Pacific.
“I graduated last year with a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Marketing with Tourism Management,” she said. “After a year I decided to go back to university to do my post-grad.”
She said she was happy to be part of the village project.
“Not only I get to experience working with the village community, I also get to use my skills that I’ve learned from university,” she said.
While doing her bachelors, Litia also got a chance to work for a while with Rosie Holidays in Nadi.
“After working for Rosie Holidays I decided to return home to my mum and dad,” she said.
She thanked the Cautata Development Committee for giving her the opportunity to work at the village bakery as its manager. “Since I’m straight out of university, I’m putting into practice what I have studied and it has been quite helpful,” she said.
“The committee is quite helpful when it comes to running the bakery and I’m thankful for the opportunity and guidance.”
Her family has been very supportive towards her new journey.
“Both my paternal and maternal family have always been there for me and for them to support me in this new step is just encouraging,” she said.
She said since being the manager for the village bakery she has had to keep to a schedule.
“We live in Nabua and since being the manager I had to travel often to the village, which is a wonderful opportunity for me because I get to spend more time in the village with family too.
“I have classes on Wednesday and Thursday so juggling travelling from Suva to the village, studying and working has kept me grounded in achieving my other goals.”
She manages daily business operations and has seven staff members that report to her.
