At 53, Wainikiti Toakalou has never sold food at the market before.
But come May next year, she hopes to stand proudly beside bundles of fresh duruka, harvested from land she and her husband now call home.
Married into Botenaulu Village in Naitasiri, Wainikiti spends her days helping her husband on their farm, building a future through the soil beneath their feet and the sweat on their brow.
Last week, they gathered duruka stems from her village in Waibasaga and began preparing new plots for planting.
“Duruka is a delicacy and sells fast. That is why I decided to plant duruka and try out selling them.
“By May next year we should be ready for our first harvest.”
With bundles selling between $10 and $15, the couple see farming not only as survival but a window of opportunity.
They started their small farm last year and now plan to live there permanently.
“We will still go to the village occasionally but we will stay on the farm so we be less distracted,” she said.
Wainikiti also carries another responsibility close to her heart, raising four grandchildren after their parents separated.
Her daughter, who works at a restaurant in Suva, helps whenever she can.
“I am now both their grandmother and mother, which is another reason my husband and I have decided to step up efforts in farming,” she said.
Wainikiti’s husband also plants dalo and yaqona. They both hope to use the money they earn from their crop to finance their dream of building their farm hous.
Every day, she walks several kilometres to fetch water from a nearby waterfall for cooking and washing. Yet despite the hardship, she speaks with gratitude.
“I believe we have a good life,” she said.
“I also challenge unemployed youths in the cities to return to the village and toil the land.
” There’s money in farming but only if you put in your level best and work hard.”
