Selling The Fiji Times on the streets of Lautoka is a unique tradition for Saras Wati.
It is unique in the sense that she fell in love with The Fiji Times a couple of years after getting married to the love of her life Amar Nath more than three decades ago.
Today, Ms Wati is still the same, fresh face that greets avid readers of this newspaper as they travel to the city daily. Her husband was a street seller for many years and had to stay home after he got sick. Saras, as she is fondly known, continued the tradition and is not ready to give up yet at 63.
“I remember many years ago, I used to sell at the Northern Club and sometimes it would rain so I would wrap the papers with the plastic and carry them to the club just to make sure they are sold,” Ms Wati said.
“I have sold The Fiji Times on a few streets in Lautoka but have been stationed here on Naviti St for some years now.
“It is a love I developed many years ago and I still continue to love it to this day.”
Sometimes when the newspaper sales are not that good Saras has felt like giving up but her love for the newspaper has kept her going. She shared being a street seller was no easy feat and required patience, dedication and perseverance.
Six days a week, the Tomuka resident battles the scorching Sugar City heat just to ensure daily newspaper readers get their copies of The Fiji Times.
She said her children would help sometimes when she did not feel good but she tries to maintain a healthy life so she would not miss a day selling her favourite newspaper — The Fiji Times.