FOR the past 20 years Bimla Wati has found joy in the simplest of things like selling her produce at the Valelevu market in Nasinu.
The 71-year-old from Yasiyasi, Tavua moved with her children to Rokara Rd, Suva after her husband’s demise and since then has been selling vegetables at the market.
She said her life in the market is fun.
“I don’t like to stay home,” she said.
“I love to be at my stall. My children always tell me not to work, but I cannot do that now because I know I’ll get bored at home.
“Here I am able to mingle around with my friends and customers and my time passes well. What will I do at home? With this, I am able to get money every day and I don’t have to ask anyone for it.
“Whatever I earn is totally mine. I stay with my children and they take care of me very well. We are living a happy life.”
She said sales was always fluctuating depending on the supply and demand.
“But I am able to make profit from my sales. With this savings, I was able to make overseas trips as well.”
Ms Wati believes in hard work and advices others to work hard for a better living.
“I wake up at 3am to get my supply from the Suva market because if we are late the supply will finish.
“Then, I reach my stall in the market at 6am every day.
“My business was running very good before and for that I had to go to the Suva market every day to get the supply, but now it has gone down so I just go twice in a week.
“Sometimes the farmers and the middlemen bring the supply to our market, but most of the time we have to go and get them.”
She said the price of vegetables were getting high due to less supply.
“Because of that our profit has reduced. We cannot raise the price too much because we have to think about the customers as well.”
