A mother’s struggle and commitment towards her family is incomparable, her love knows no boundaries and it never fails so says Valelevu market vendor Tavenisa Taoi.

Starting her market business more than ten years ago, the mother of four believes that she is fulfilling her motherly role with the business she has established.

“It’s been more than 10 years now since I’ve started my market business at the Valelevu market and my family is always my priority,” Ms Taoi said.

“The main reason I decided to operate a market stall is for the sake of my children’s education, I want them to achieve the best and the maximum level of education that I was not able to achieve,” she said.

“I started this business to support my husband; assisting him to provide for our four children. That included food, clothing and educate them to the highest level.

“When I began, my children were in primary school, now my two older children have graduated from Fiji National University (FNU) with my eldest now living in Australia; my two younger ones are at the University of the South Pacific of which they hope to get their degrees.

The 50-year-old said that there were challenges she continued to face with regards to less supply in farmers produce and the ex- pensive deals given by farmers.

“There have been a lot of changes and challengers over my ten years in the business,”

“This year in particular we have noticed a steady increase in prices of root crops and this is always a challenge to us in trying to sell off our market produce knowing that demands decrease when price increases,”

“Dalo prices right now range from $20-$40 from farmers and we have to sell that in a price so we too make our profits.

“Then again, during cyclones or off seasons of a particular produce it is always hard for us to get what we would like to sell in our stalls.”

Mrs Taoi said that it was not easy to operate a market stall but with endurance and sacrifice one can be successful and flourish in their business.

“There is good money here in the market business but it does not come easy,”

“I wake up at 1am every Saturday morning and head to Nausori Market to buy my stock from the farmers that sell their produce there.

“It’s all about time management and endurance for me, waking up very early in the morning and leaving home to sell the whole day.

“Managing my time well has always been paramount to me, I ensure I have enough time with my family, I have time in the market and I also make time every week organising a prayer session with my fellow market vendors to commit our business to the Lord.

“I have catered well for my children’s education, I am providing for my family’s welfare and commitments and also the commitments of the church.

“If there is good business here in the market, I can earn $400 to $500 with my sales on a Saturday alone.

“I love it here; three supermarkets surround this market and this is the only market that is convenient to the people of Valelevu and Nasinu after doing their shopping from the three major supermarkets.”