Nadakuni villager only wants to help her customers

Although customers can expect to pay more when buying food and vegetables from the market, one vendor wants to do business without changing the price of her produce.

Vasemaca Turagakula wants to help consumers by not increasing the price of her vegetables.

The 43-year-old mother of eight has been selling at the Suva Municipal Market for more than 30 years.

Despite losing vegetables and root crops during the recent floods and Cyclone Winston earlier this year, she has no intentions of increasing her prices.

“I didn’t want to increase it because we want to help the people buy our products.

I just want to help the people,” the villager from Nadakuni in Naitasiri said.

She usually sells bananas, rourou, ota, passion fruits, chillies, cucumber, dalo and cassava, which she grows in her own farm.

Her day starts by cooking at 5am, cleans the house and looks after her grandchildren. From 10am to 3pm, she joins her husband on the farm.

Every Friday, she would leave home at around 2am to make her way to the market.

The one and a half-hour drive to the market is made possible by a carrier provided by the village headman.

With Christmas just a day away, Ms Turagakula is excited and is looking forward to spending the special day with her family.

Her eldest daughter is 27, and works at a restaurant to help with the family’s expenses.

Her youngest daughter is 11-years-old.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

Feedback:  monica.aguilar@fijisun.com.fj