Sacrifice pays off
Thirty-six-year-old Alisi Kaususu’s story titled “10 years of sacrifice pays off for Kaususu” (FT 12/05) inspired many. It was an emotional milestone for Kaususu as her mother travelled from Vanua Levu to witness her daughter graduate with a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood from FNU. After 10 years of seeing the kitchen walls, she realised that it was time to explore educational opportunities and assist her husband. The FNU roadshow at the Nausori market showed her the path and proved to be the light that would ignite her path. Kaususu balanced her studies, motherhood and family life that proved challenging, but she conquered them and despite the demands on her plate, she pressed on and achieved success. Her advice, “Never stop pushing and always pray until something happens”, should not fall on deaf ears. Kaususu proved that reward comes with hard work, patience and dedication! RAJNESH ISHWAR LINGAM Nadawa, Nasinu
Waste to energy
Perhaps through the “Vuvale Partnership”, the three-wheeler Coalition Government could seek some enlightenment from the government of Australia as to why they rejected the TNG proposal to operate its waste to energy incinerator in Western Sydney. I wish the Australian embassy and the many environment NGOs here at home could speak up because somehow, the three-wheeler Coalition Government sometimes governs for some wrong reason. AREKI DAWAI Suva
$8 minimum wage
FTUC is advocating for an increase in minimum wage from $5 to $8 per hour. It’s a big jump. My gut feeling is in the end they will settle for $6 per hour as they did in the last budget. But seriously, can the country afford such a massive rise in pay. While I understand our workers deserve a decent living wage but realistically is the proposed rate justified and proportionate to the economic reality in Fiji. Have we given due cognizance to all the pros and cons before arriving to that demand? Several implications spring to my mind. Firstly, what will be the impact of this 60 per cent increase on small and medium businesses. How many of them have the capacity to absorb the pay rise from $5 to $6 per hour leave alone $8? Most of them will have no choice but to resort to either laying off staff or reducing their normal working hours. If that happens, who will be the biggest losers. Ultimately, it will hit the pockets of the consumers particularly the poor. What is the guarantee that employers will be compensated through commensurate gains in productivity and efficiency? If anything, it will only exacerbate high rate of absenteeism among our workers. It is a well-known fact that our garment industry is facing stiff competition from their counterparts endowed with a comparative advantage of cheap labour. Some factories had shut down after the last increase citing their inability to pass on the additional cost to their buyers. Do we want to strangle the hen that lays the golden eggs? Have we considered the knock-on effect of this increase on other categories of workers? Is there any data as to what percentage of our workers constitute those earning less than $8 per hour? The increase will place them all on the same wage level irrespective of their job descriptions and academic qualification and skills requirements thus thwarting opportunities for merit or performance-based increments. The peanut butter wage raises would result in loss of demoralised high performers who will be forced to leave for firms that reward performance. Let’s be pragmatic and carefully consider all the ramifications and far reaching consequences before determining the appropriate living wage rate for our workers. In the final analysis, we need to rise above parochial interest for the greater good of our country. SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
The girmitiya legacy
As we commemorate the 2026 Girmit celebrations, marking 147 years since the arrival of our brothers and sisters of Indian origin, it is fitting that we reflect on the enduring legacy of the girmitiya and their invaluable contributions to the development of Fiji. Their resilience, sacrifice, and determination laid a strong foundation for the growth of our nation. Beyond their historical significance, their influence continues to shape our society in meaningful ways. On a personal note, I feel privileged to have received my education in multi-cultural classrooms alongside fellow students who were descendants of the girmitiya. These experiences offered important lessons in life. Their commitment to academic excellence, discipline, and perseverance fostered a healthy competitive environment that encouraged many of us to strive for higher achievements. Their strong work ethics and emphasis on time management remain qualities we can all learn from. I believe these values have contributed significantly to shaping a mindset of commitment and excellence, whether in our homes, workplaces and aboard. Our Indian brothers and sisters have every reason to celebrate this important chapter of their history. As a nation, we should join in recognising and honouring their unique contributions to Fiji’s development. I extend my warmest wishes for a meaningful Girmit celebration and hope that we will continue to embrace and appreciate the richness of our cultural diversity. FLOYD ROBINSON Micronesia
Heartbreaking coverage
Daily coverage in The Fiji Times regarding the families of the nine fishermen who disappeared at sea on April 22 has been heartbreaking. After the memorial service at St Pius Church on Saturday, a moving tribute of casting of bouquet of flowers and wreaths in the sea in memory of those nine, has touched the hearts of many. Despite acceptance of the bitter truth of no return of the fishermen, their family members find solace, clinging to hope of their loved one’s return. We pray for guidance and peace from the Almighty for the grieving family members. SARITA LAL Lautoka
Bula Boys
The Bula Boys lost all three games in the qualifying rounds for semi finals in New Zealand and our young Kula Girls finished 5th at home. Now the focus will be the mini world cup in Labasa next month to generate income for Fiji Football Association. Bula Boys can try again next year and hopefully this time more of our local players will be given a chance to play in the professional league rather than bringing overseas players with no results. GEOFFREY CHAND Nasoso, Nadi
Model the way
Yes, Honourable Sakiusa Tubuna, I may have been sarcastic and supposedly taken your end-of-week statement out of context but the matter of the fact remains. Members of Parliament should be leading by example in our fuel crisis relief measures and only then the grassroots people will follow suit. Not vice versa and no, the 20 per cent pay cut for all MPs is not leading by example nor it was a sacrifice considering it was a 130 per cent salary increase. Leaders must mirror the sacrifices asked of their citizens. Sa malo Tau! WISE MUAVONO Balawa, Lautoka
Big fish
With many people granted immunity and with the help of the military, when will the so-called big fish in drug cases be caught? NARAYAN REDDY Lautoka
Parental failure
Dear consultant paediatrician Dr Priya Kaur, ma’am you and the rest of the health team did not fail. The 18 per cent vertical transmission rate through mother and child in 2025 is the failure of parental duties and it saddens me. We, the parents, the vanua and the lotu has failed miserably on our part. We have gone astray from our utmost responsibility in nurturing, guidance, protecting and characterising our unconditional love towards our sons and daughters. It is indeed a sad state we are living in, what can we do together vanua and lotu? AREKI DAWAI Suva
Unexplained wealth
I believe it is in the public interest to know who are the people with the “unexplained wealth” Steven Chandra alludes to who get away with driving private vehicles with “much darker tints” (FT 12/5). We know our MPs have well explained wealth from the 130 per cent-plus pay rise they approved for themselves after an honourable MP recommended it as chair of the Enumeration Committee. RAJEND NAIDU Sydney, Australia
Soccer, fortune and fame
2026 World Cup
The 2026 World Cup is here. Without a doubt, this is the largest sports event in the world. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will draw in millions, is scheduled to take place in the summer months of June and July across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This highly anticipated tournament, which is only some days away, will be groundbreaking as it is the first instance in history where three countries come together to host the event. Significantly, it will bring a notable change to the format by raising the number of teams competing to 48, a considerable increase from the earlier 32. Matches will be played in many cities and states throughout the United States, along with selected locations in Canada and Mexico. This plan will showcase a lively selection of sites across North America. Additionally, this change not only offers fans additional matches to watch but also improves global representation by allowing more teams to join in on football’s most prestigious platform. It’s fascinating that the group stage will consist of 16 groups with three teams in each, leading into an expanded knockout phase that promises exciting match-ups and fierce competition along the way. As they prepare for this major event, the host nations are cooperating closely on upgrading infrastructure, improving venues, and organising logistics to guarantee an unforgettable experience for players and supporters alike. In the end, this tournament is set to be a grand festival of football on a global level, bringing people together through a shared love for the game while simultaneously expanding its influence and reach. SURESH CHAND Nadi
Am I a content creator?
I keep hearing about content creators who seem to get their fame and fortune from putting material online. Like most people I have opinions about many topics so I started writing ‘letters to the editor’. I then set up a blog (tinyurl.com/LTTE-Writer) detailing my obsession and the rationale for some selected letters. Does this make me a content creator? With 27 dedicated followers, I have not yet made an attempt to monetise my site and rake in the promised fortunes. I don’t like all the advertisements online so that would make it more difficult if I don’t allow them. I also noticed as a fat, bald, 67-year-old man that few of these content providers match that description so I might be in a niche marketplace. Awaiting the fortune and fame that will now flow my way! DENNIS FITZGERALD Australia
