Enjoying village life
Appreciate one another’s company
CHORES done by girls and women living in villages in the past are likely to be a tad different from chores done by women today, especially in villages that are developed or slowly developing.
The experience of operating a washing machine with electricity and proper water supply is not the same as doing laundry, bathing or washing dishes beside a running stream or river.
This was the life that Raijeli Marama, 63, was raised in and continues to treasure today.
Ms Marama, who hails from Guisuisavu Village in Naitasiri, lives just a few minutes’ walk away from the Naqali River, which runs beside the village.
“Now life is made easy with electricity and our new water projects but before women like me use to start our day early some at the crack of dawn and most of us would be beside the river doing our chores like washing,” she said.
“Our lives revolved around the river when there wasn’t any proper water supply like we have today and often you can see us doing our laundry with clothes piled up on top of a smooth rock that is used as a washing-board with river water flowing easily beside the rock to rinse off the clothes,” she said.
“Every chore that needed water was done by the river and often we would sit there and talk for hours while carrying out our individual task for the day.”
She said even students and working people would often rush off to the river for a quick bath before their day begins and people would enjoy their morning by the river.
“Spending time by the river was a norm for villagers and we learned to appreciate the little things through those experiences. Now everything is done with the ease of electricity and water supply which is a whole lot better too,” she said.
She said even though things are made simple today, it was sitting by the river talking with other women that built a strong appreciation of what village life was supposed to feel like and it made people appreciate one another’s company too.