EVERY 2am on Saturday, while Rakiraki is still asleep, 50-year-old Yogita Mala is already loading flowers into her truck.
By 4am, her table at the municipal market is set.
It is a routine she has kept for 15 years, transforming a tiny backyard project into a thriving business.
Mala grew up in poverty and had to leave school after class eight because her parents, who worked as labourers, could not afford high school.
She took up babysitting but always kept an eye out for better opportunities.
Her love for plants started in her backyard. She began her business with just two or three plants.
Today, her quarter-acre home in Wairuku holds 5000 potted plants, including 50 varieties of roses and 30 types of hibiscus.
The nursery helped fund her ultimate goal: ensuring her two children finished their education.
Operating a business has its challenges.
Severe El Niño droughts have recently made watering thousands of plants expensive.
To safeguard her income, Mala diversified. She sells aquarium fish, cooks homemade Indian sweets, and recently bought a new $20,000 property to expand.
Supported by a helper, her husband, and her children on weekends, Mala rejects the idea of retirement.
She credits her daily prayers and a unique habit of talking to her plants and fish for her endurance.
For Mala, the work brings a lifelong sense of purpose.
Full Story in The Sunday Times tomorrow
