At 71, she still wakes at 4am to provide

At an age when many slow down, 71-year-old Mereseini Keretu is already on her feet before dawn, working to provide for her family.

By 4am, she is loading sacks of cassava, bananas, vudi and sweet potatoes from her family farm in Nasivikoso Village in Ba, beginning the long journey to the Nadi Market.

“It is not easy. We travel for hours and reach after 8am, but this is how we survive,” Ms Keretu said.

For 30 years, this has been her routine — early mornings, long travel and hard labour — driven by the need to support her family.

Today, she owns her own table at the market and runs a small village shop, Mereseini Enterprise, which she started with a loan.

“With the income from selling my produce, I have managed to build my family home and support our daily needs.”

Four years ago, after losing her husband, Ms Keretu did not slow down.

“Now I look after my family. I am happy that at 71, I can still provide for my family,” she said.

At the market, she works side by side with her eldest daughter, Vakatalai Tubuna, 50 — a bond built on years of shared sacrifice.

“We grew up seeing our mother work hard. She motivates me every day, and I am always happy to work alongside her. We look after each other here at the market,” Ms Tubuna said.

While Ms Keretu sells at the market, another daughter runs the family shop back in the village, keeping the business going from both ends.

Every dollar earned goes straight back into the household — buying groceries in bulk and keeping the family canteen stocked.

Despite the physical toll, Ms Keretu remains grounded in her faith and focused on encouraging others.

“I want to encourage women in villages and elsewhere to be strong and serve God faithfully as we strive in life. Everything is His,” she said.

After decades of sacrifice, she is still doing what she has always done — waking before dawn, carrying the weight of her family’s needs, and quietly pushing forward.

At 71, Mereseini Keretu is still working, still providing, and still standing strong.