64 Yrs "Amena Seru" Picking up the pieces From The Streets To A Job

WHEN Amena Seru combed the streets of Lautoka for some years, he thought this was going to be life for him. Years behind bars, he never knew there was light at the end of the tunnel. However, it just happened that a person who had known Amena from his young days happened to rescue the Ra man from the streets and offered him employment which has now given Amena and his family hope for the past four years. You may have happened to meet Amena at the Lautoka Municipal Market cleaning up daily around the market area ensuring the sight is always friendly for those who visit the market. He is 64 years old, still energetic and still enjoys the work he does because it was around this same time four years ago that he actually picked up the pieces after being approached by Lautoka social worker Narayan Reddy to work and start earning for his family. Amena is an employee of the West Quality Pest and Cleaning Service which does cleaning around the Lautoka market area and other cleaning services as well and he is proud that this work helped him realise that there was always more to life than just roaming around the streets and being involved in unwanted behaviours. “Au vakavinavinaka vakalevu vei Reddy na nona lomani au me solia vei au na cakacaka qo (I want to sincerely thank Reddy for giving me this job)” Amena shared with a huge smile on his face. “Au dau nanuma taucoko tu ni sai cavacava ga ni noqu bula na noqu sa dau mai bula wavoki tu (I thought that life on the streets was it for me)“Na cakacaka qo e sa vakavuna meu rawa ni veivuke i vale e na veika e dau gadrevi me voli (This work has assisted me buy stuff we need at home).” Amena’s seven children reside in his village in Ra while he lives with his wife in Lovu and he enjoys life just like any other human being because he now sees that hard work is always the substitute to better things in life. He also shared that this work has changed his take on life because he was able to see clearly the difference of working hard rather than just living an easy life on the streets and having to survive from whatever he meets along the way. “E dodonu me da dau dinata nai tavi e soli vei keda, se vakacava sara na kena dredre se na kena bibi baleta qo ga e da na marautaka kina na bula (We should always stay true to any calling given to us and do our work with utmost faith and only then will we enjoy life ),” Amena added.