Priya Kalpana Kiran has sacrificed a great deal to get to where she is today.
The 32-year-old mum operates a bean cart in the buzzing Lautoka City.
Her business is the breadwinner for the family Priya said business is OK, even though COVID-19 did bring disrupt operations .
Priya is no stranger to the bean cart business. She is one of the many women entrepreneurs recognised in the Sugar City.
The Lovu resident has been selling homemade sweets and snacks for the past ten years, which she proudly refers to as a profitable venture.
“My parents were hardworking individuals and my dad Prakash Chand was the reason behind Chands Quality Sweets and Snacks cart stationed opposite the Lautoka bus stand,” she said.
“I was in Year 11 at Tilak High School when dad ventured into the business. Mum used to make the sweets at home. My parents worked extremely hard to support the education of their four girls in the family. I am the youngest. My mother is arguably the pillar of strength for the whole family.
“At a very young age, I had to take up a lot of responsibilities. I attended to the daily domestic chores, helped my siblings with their school work and never shied from aiding other family members.”
Priya said she also kept on with her education and graduated with a Certificate in Hospitality Operations.
“I used to work in hotels prior to my marriage. My parents paid for everything from money generated from the cart as well as my sisters’ weddings and mine.”
Priya said she continued her father’s business venture idea because she knew a lot about it. As a mum she juggles errands and schedules her time at the cart.
She said COVID-19 severely impacted her business at one stage.
“My business was closed in mid-April. It was a bit of a struggle in looking after the welfare of my sickly dad, elderly mum and my three kids. I utilised my savings earned from the business and the challenges patiently each day. It was tough, but things are slowly normalising after the easing of stringent health protocols.
“It’s great to notice that Fijians have heeded the government’s mandatory vaccination exercise, which has enabled some semblance of normality business-wise.
“I don’t make that much profit unlike pre-COVID-19. My hubby is from Tavarau in Ba and I relocated there. I moved back to my parent’s place after a couple of years because my dad was ill as a result of diabetes. So the decision to take control of the business came into play. After some convincing by my parents I took over.
“I hesitant at first, but after having fruitful discussions with my husband, the rest is history. I have been managing my dad’s sweets selling business for a decade now.”
Priya said the reopening of schools should auger well for her sweets and snacks selling enterprise. Her strong message to the masses is to be determined in order to succeed.
“Life is never easy. The tough ones fight until the end to succeed no matter the extreme challenges while the lazy ones sit and complain.”
“These were the words of my father Prakash Chand. I live by his sound and valuable advice. Any person who believes in hard work and has the determination to persevere will always succeed.”
