Ethan and Krystal Buksh, owners of Kids First, were astonished to win two awards at the 2017 Fiji Development Bank’s National Small and Medium Enterprises awards night at Suva’s Grand Pacific Hotel.

Mr Buksh said he felt excited after winning two awards.

“The award is really special as we are really committed to the early childhood education Fiji,” Mr Buksh said.

“This is our first win here at the Fiji Development Bank’s national small and medium enterprises award.

“Last year, Krystal was a recipient of the women in business award and aspiring entrepreneur at the Westpac award.

“The awards put us on the map and will help us to make change in the community and encourage more people to pursue their profession in the early childhood,” he said.

He said: “The prize money would allow us to buy books and needed furniture for the school.

“We also have plans to expand from Year two to eight,” he said.

According to him, opening a child centre happened when the couple could not find a day care for their then three-year-old daughter.

“We moved back to Fiji after spending a few years in Christchurch, New Zealand. Krystal having study early childhood in New Zealand.

“We provide all meals. Our centre is different, it caters for working family.

“Since its establishment, we opened our first centre at Nasese with a total of 10 kids, today we have 160 children,” he said.

Kids First Fiji has 17 teachers.

The couple won $10,000 prize money.

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