Tailor Provide Breakfast to the Elderly
Easter season is a special time of the year for Aruna Singh as it remind her of the blessings from devotion and fasting for 40 straight days.
After having three sons, Mrs Singh wished to have a daughter while living in Nokonoko Village in Ra.
Her family converted from Hinduism to Christianity in 1984, they were committed to devotion and fasting.
“Easter means a lot to me, because we first converted to Methodist while we were in Ra then we joined the Assemblies of God church when we moved to Suva in 1999. Converting to Christianity really changed my life,” Mrs Singh said.
“I had always dreamt of having children so when I had my first three sons, I was happy. Years later, I wanted a daughter, so I fasted for 40 days and prayed to God to bless me with a daughter,” she said.
“My prayers were answered when I conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby girl in January 1990,” she said.
This year, the family plans to spend their Easter by providing breakfast to the Samabula Old People’s Home residents today.
“Last year, we didn’t do anything during Easter because of the lockdown. This year we are planning as a family to provide them breakfast items including Weetbix, porridge, milk and bread,” she said.
The 60-year-old tailor has been running a sewing business at the Suva Flea Market the past 10 years.
Mrs Singh learnt her sewing skills from her mother soon after leaving high school. She later secured employment at the United Apparel where she continued to learn more about sewing.
One of her sons secured a stall at the Flea Market in 2011 and she has been there since.
“I didn’t undergo any formal training to learn how to sew; I learnt it from my mother who was a tailor. “I had also had a sewing machine at home where I practiced my sewing skills. I started with sewing long mumu, sulu and chamba, shirts for children and adults and dresses for all ages.
“My husband is not working so I support him and the family through what I earn from sewing.”
Before COVID-19 Mrs Singh was earning $200 to $300 a week depending on how busy the occasion is. “Now we only earn roughly $100 to $150 because some customers have either lost their jobs or do not have enough to afford sewing charges. “Sometimes we don’t have any sales, busy days are like this Easter week, Mother’s Day, Christmas and
New Year but we always dedicate our lives to the Lord above to guide us through these challenges.”
Mrs Singh and her family break their fasting this morning.
They will first have their family prayer and then have breakfast.
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