To honour the memory of her late son, Tazma Bi, 61, of Bua in Vanua Levu, shared food relief packs to families in the Soasoa lockdown area of Labasa.

You don’t have to be rich to help those in need, Ms Bi said.

She lost her only son, Mohammed Aziz on May 8, 2019.

Despite her sorrows and yearning to find out how her son died, she took on the role to share love with others.

According to Police, her 38-year-old son drowned when he fell off his boat while preparing for a fishing trip in Soasoa.

Her two daughters and their families now reside in the lockdown area.

The mother of four children said her religious teaching ingrained in her to treat everyone with respect and love.

Ramadan begins in two days, so Ms Bi distributed food packs not just to her relatives but to everyone in that little community.

“I as a daughter, wife, mother, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law and grandmother understand what it means to lose loved ones,” Ms Bi said.

“I was supposed to hold a prayer meeting at my place at Wailevu, Labasa, on May 8 for my late son. However, since social gathering is not allowed I decided to collect money by selling fish from my son’s shop and prepare food packages for those at Soasoa.”

“Thanks to my son’s friend, Daniel Nandan for helping me in packing, we managed to deliver fruits like apple and pear, porridge, milk, sugar, dates and sunquick juice,” the grandmother of six children said.

“Ramadan is a special time of fasting for us and with the extension of another 14 days of lockdown, I don’t know how Muslims will prepare.

“Nevertheless, I believe God will strengthen his devotees to observe 30 days of fasting.

“God has helped a poor woman like me to give thanksgiving, I believe miracles can happen anytime and anywhere,” she said.

“Business has been badly affected during this COVID-19 pandemic but God has filled my pockets so that I can help those in need and fulfil my son’s one year of mourning period.”

Edited by Caroline Ratucadra

Feedback:  shratikan@fijisun.com.fj