SINGLE life has given 40-year-old Adi Elenoa Mole the freedom she values most – the liberty wto make her own choices, set her own schedule and live life on her terms.
Adi Elenoa who hails from Vatubalavu Village in Noikoro, Navosa, has embraced single life and the independence that comes with it.
The day The Fiji Times team met her, she was on horseback making her way to the forest with her cousin to harvest turmeric – work that has become an important part of her daily life.
“I prefer being single because I love the personal freedom,” she said.
She can make my own daily choices, set her own schedule and focus entirely on what she loves doing.
For Adi Elenoa, that independence also extends to her finances.
She earns a living by harvesting turmeric, a job she enjoys and one that allows her to manage the money she earns.
She prefers it because of financial autonomy.
“I get to manage my money independently,” she said.
She heads into the forest with family members, although there are times when she works on her own.
Being single means, she does not have to organise her work around another person’s schedule.
Harvesting turmeric is also a familiar livelihood for women in her village.
In a week, Adi Elenoa can fill about 20 bags, averaging five bags a day.
The money she earns helps pay for her personal needs while also contributing to family expenses.
She lives with her elderly parents and hopes that one day she will build a home of her own.
Her message extends beyond her village.
“I encourage those living in towns and cities who don’t have work to go to the village and find a way to earn a living because it can support you financially without having to rely on someone else,” she said.
For Adi Elenoa, hard work is more than a means of earning money, it is a way of living independently and a lesson she hopes young people will follow.
