FORMER WOMEN INMATES
SECURE WORK WITH RAIWAQA BAKERY
Former women inmates Tiu Katarina, Nanise Karai and Keresi Rokorua have secured permanent employment and are now happily working for the Raiwaqa Bakery company outlet in Nausori.
The trio are part of the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) Yellow Ribbon programme.
For Ms Karai, 39, of Lomaji, Cicia in the Lau Group, the opportunity has opened new doors because she now wants to set up fashion and design business of her own.
At the moment she is responsible for preparing the payroll for the 95 employees at the Nausori and Nasese Bakeries.
She learned about preparing the payroll when she started at the bakery in April.
“I began work for Raiwaqa Bakery soon after my release in April this year,” she said.
She has thrived in her work to prepare employees payroll and put their wages into respective workers bank account before their pay day on Thursdays.
Ms Karai said she felt happy to ensure that workers were paid on time.
For 44-year-old Tiu Katarina, who hails from Juju, Rotuma, being a supervisor at the company’s Coffee Shop at Nausori has endowed in her a sense of self confidence and responsibility.
“I like my work because I meet a lot of different kinds of people,” she said.
“I sometimes serve a number of rude customers, but I remain composed and have developed ways to manage and deal with such attitude in a professional manner. “In particular those who tend to force their way through ignoring the customers already in a line to be served,” she said. Speaking on their behalf Ms Katarina
thanked the Fiji Corrections Service for the help they were given while under their care. “Now that we can see light at the end of the tunnel we are prepared to use it as a stepping stone to success,” she said.
“The FCS arranged for our work at the Raiwaqa Bakery.”
She also thanked the company owner Atela Yee for offering them jobs and the training.
Ms Yee said she supported the Yellow Ribbon programme and believed in giving the inmates a second chance.
“I’m really happy for them and they are very good workers,” she said.
Ms Yee, who used to operate from the old Raiwaqa market which is now closed, has two bakery outlets. She said another two inmates will start at the bakery once they are released.
I sometimes serve a number of rude customers, but I remain composed and have developed ways to manage and deal with such attitude in a professional manner.
Tiu Katarina
Supervisor at Raiwaqa Bakery Coffee Shop