STANDING proudly on the waterfront at Wairiki in Taveuni, Meridian Store has become more than just a place of business.
For a century, it has served generations of island families, weathered changing times and remained a symbol of resilience built on sacrifice, determination and community trust.
As the store marked its 100th anniversary, managing director Champak Lal Dayaram said the occasion was about much more than celebrating a successful business.
“It is about remembering the journey of one man who left everything behind to search for opportunities in a country he knew nothing about,” he said.
Mr Dayaram told guests that the story began in 1885 in Navsari, Gujarat, India, where his grandfather, Dayaram Fakir, was born during British colonial rule.
He said like many Gujarati of the time, Dayaram believed there were better opportunities beyond India and was willing to take enormous risks to secure a better future. After travelling to Zanzibar in East Africa in 1923, Dayaram heard stories from fellow traders about Fiji.
“They spoke about a place where opportunities were beginning to emerge after the indenture system had ended.”
He said those conversations convinced his grandfather to return to India before boarding a ship from Calcutta for Fiji.
The two-month voyage across the ocean was long and difficult.
“There was very little comfort. Passengers travelled under harsh conditions with limited food, but despite all that, he never turned back.”
After arriving in Fiji in 1923, Dayaram settled in Nausori, on Viti Levu where he earned a living as a tailor, travelling from settlement to settlement selling clothing.
Mr Dayaram said his grandfather’s skills quickly became recognised.
“He was even given a block of land in exchange for sewing a suit. That tells you how valuable tailoring was during those days.”
While living in Nausori, Dayaram frequently listened to traders from Labasa, Vanua Levu talking about Taveuni.
Mr Dayaram said they described an island where former indentured labourers had established farms and where Catholic missionaries in Wairiki required traders who could provide groceries, clothing and other essential supplies.
Realising there was an opportunity to serve the growing community, Dayaram decided to move once again.
“He saw opportunity where others only saw isolation.”
In 1926, he arrived in Taveuni and established Dayaram Store, Tailors and Drapers, which later became Meridian Store.
Initially operating under a sublease, he later secured land from Sepo Dalo of the Mataitoga clan in Navarada.
He said his grandfather became the first Gujarati entrepreneur to establish a business on Taveuni. However, life on the island was far from easy.
His wife, Diwari Ben Fakir, remained in India, leaving him to build the business entirely on his own.
“There was no electricity, no piped water and supplies only arrived once a month. Imagine running a business under those conditions.”
Despite the hardships, Dayaram slowly earned the confidence of customers in Wairiki and neighbouring communities.
He said trust became the foundation upon which the business was built.
“People returned because they knew they would be treated fairly.”
Four years later, Dayaram’s only son, Ambaram Dayaram, arrived in Fiji at the age of 12 after another two-month voyage from India.
He quickly learnt tailoring, bookkeeping, customer service and copra trading while working alongside his father.
“By the time he was a teenager, he was already helping to manage many aspects of the business,” Mr Dayaram said.
In 1935, Ambaram returned to India to marry Narbada Ben before returning to Fiji.
World War II soon separated the young family. He said restrictions on sea travel meant Ambaram was unable to reunite with his wife and daughter for almost 10 years.
“It was a difficult period for the family, but my grandfather and father never gave up.”
When Narbada Ben finally arrived in Taveuni in 1947 with their eldest daughter, the reunion marked a new beginning.
The family eventually grew to nine children and became firmly rooted on the island.
He described Narbada Ben as the family’s “Iron Lady”.
“After my grandfather passed away in India in 1952, she carried enormous responsibilities.”
He said she looked after nine children while helping manage the household, finances and the business.
“Without her strength, this business may not have survived.”
Following Dayaram Fakir’s death, Ambaram assumed leadership of Meridian Store.
According to Mr Dayaram, his father expanded the business by strengthening supply routes, trading copra with Carpenters, supplying Catholic missions and serving both Indo-Fijian and iTaukei communities.
“He believed that every customer deserved respect, regardless of who they were.”
Mr Dayaram said those values remained central to Meridian Store today.
He said honesty, hard work and strong relationships had enabled the business to survive for 100 years despite economic changes, cyclones and changing consumer demands.
“No business reaches a century without the support of its customers and community.”
Today, members of the Fakir family live throughout Fiji and overseas in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, England and India.
Yet Mr Dayaram said Taveuni would always remain home.
“When we return here, we remember helping in the shop after school, listening to the waves outside and growing up surrounded by people who became part of our extended family.”
He said the centenary celebration had taken almost a year to organise and had brought together relatives from around the world.
“This celebration honours not only our family but everyone who had supported Meridian Store over the last 100 years,” he said.
Reflecting on his grandfather’s remarkable journey, Mr Dayaram said it was difficult to imagine the courage required to leave home more than a century ago.
“Today, travelling overseas is common. But 100 years ago, leaving your family behind and crossing the kalapani into an unknown country required extraordinary courage.”
He said the success of Meridian Store was built on sacrifice, perseverance and service.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we remember the struggles that made today possible and we remain committed to serving future generations with the same values that guided our founder.”
One hundred years after Dayaram Fakir first stepped onto Taveuni, his vision continues to live on through Meridian Store.
A business that has become part of the island’s history and an enduring example of what determination, family and community can achieve together.
