Making ends meet
MANY weekends, while Fiji sleeps, Mosese Turaganivalu crosses Lomaiviti’s cold and choppy seas in a boat. This is something he has to do for his wife and two children — his most treasured possessions in the world.
He departs the village of Naicabecabe on the island of Moturiki to be on Ovalau in time for Saturday’s Levuka “market” opening. Sometimes, he travels all the way to Suva.
“It is a challenge but it is something I have to do for my family,” he said.
The Fiji Times caught up with the father of two selling crabs along the famous Beach Street.
“These are selling for $10 a string,” he said, “that’s the discounted price the people of Ovalau will buy at”.
“In Suva, I’d sell the same string for $25 to $30. At that price they’ll sell like hot cakes because people in Suva have a lot more disposable income.”
When he has a big supply of crabs, Mosese prefers to sell at the capital.
To do this he takes a long boat ride from Moturiki to Waidalice in Tailevu from where he catches a bus or mini bus ride to Suva.
“I am selling in Levuka this weekend because I don’t have enough money to take me to the Suva market.”
Mosese often joins other men and women who travel to Levuka and Suva each weekend to sell seafood.
“We have an abundance of sea produce on the island so this is what we bring to the market every weekend.”
“We buy basic food items for our homes back on Moturiki, like sugar and tea. We have been doing this for a long time.”
What many vendors from around Ovalau and Moturiki need is a permanent structure where they can sell their produce in Levuka Town.
They currently use tents.
“I come early in the morning with many women vendors — mothers and grandmothers to sell in Levuka. Sometimes, we arrive in the dark, sometimes at midnight and sometimes during heavy rain depending on the weather.
“It would be nice to have a safe and permanent shelter to sell from,” Mosese said.