Fisherman: Fortunes turn after receiving grant
Not only did fishing bring Meli Kenawai out of poverty, it helped him earn enough money to invest in a new business venture.
The 53-year-old initially struggled to keep up with other betterresourced competitors.
Fed up with competing on a lopsided playing field, the fisherman applied for the Micro and Small Business Grant (MSBG) of $1000 in 2015 in the last push for business success.
When he became a successful applicant in the same year, the first thing Mr Kenawai bought was a new fishing net.
A year later, Mr Kenawai’s boat engine broke, plunging his family and six children into an uncertain future.
Fishing was already a risky business for the Naqarani, Rewa villager back then. Eventually, he managed to save enough money for a new 18 horsepower boat engine and a freezing unit which allowed him to conduct business from his house in Muanikoso Village, Nasinu - aside from his regular trips to the Laqere Market.
Like a typical business person, Mr Kenawai has been forwardthinking.
With his savings and assistance from wife Arieta Divorese, he managed to acquire cattle and pigs for an animal husbandry project, one year after he received the grant.
“The grant I received really changed my fortunes,” he said. “If I had a taken a loan from the bank, it would have taken me two years to pay it all back but instead I was able to save enough and invest in another project”