To serve and protect
Jali enjoys her work
IF you ever visit the Diabetes Fiji office located opposite the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH), a woman security guard with a big bula smile will greet you in the waiting area.
Her name is Ganja Jali.
The 55-year-old has been a security officer for more than 11 years now and despite being forced into the profession due to financial circumstances, she says she has no regrets so far.
Originally from Savusavu in Vanua Levu, she currently resides in Suva with her two children.
“I used to work in the cutting section at the Farah Garment factory in Vatuwaqa before I decided to become a security guard,” Ms Jali said.
“The factory closed down when the owner passed away and that’s when I decided to become a security officer.”
Ms Jali’s first taste of the security guard business was when she landed a role with City Security Services (CSS).
“I was there for two years, then I went to Professional Security Services Pte Ltd where I worked for five years.
“I was stationed at Harbour Center in downtown Suva when Grid Security Services Fiji (Ltd) approached me and asked me if I wanted to join them.”
She said she loves the job because she gets to meet new people every day.
“I have never faced any problems while on the job, and the hours suit me – I work from 5am to 3pm and never at night.
“Being a good security guard is all about good time management. It’s all about being punctual to work and doing the time you have been rostered for.
“This place is usually quite full, but in the afternoons it gets empty.
“But whether it’s full or not, I make sure that I always do my checkups around the place.”
The widower said she enjoyed the role so much that she was not looking to retire anytime soon.
“I love this job, so in terms of retiring, I will have to think about it.
“I’ll see how long I can go on for, but I don’t think I will call it quits anytime soon.”
Ms Jali’s advice to people who have found employment is to “be diligent and do your job well”.
“There are some people who don’t have jobs, so you need to look after yours.
“Don’t miss work, come on time, knock off on time and be honest while doing your job.
“Otherwise, you will lose your job to someone else and it’s hard to get jobs nowadays.”