Wailevu woman turns tailoring into success

A woman from Wailevu, Labasa, has proven that resilience and determination can turn hardship into success.

Tara Wati, 66, says her journey was never easy, so she turned to tailoring as a livelihood. She learned to sew from her mother at the age of 13, a skill that has sustained her to this day.

Coming from a poor background, the eldest of five siblings had to give up her education early. She recalled marrying Ram Prasad at 18 and working hard on their sugarcane farm.

“The struggle to raise a family was real,” she said.

“There were days when we had nothing and ate only rice before going to sleep. But I knew I had to do something for my children.”

Through her home-based tailoring business, Ms Wati slowly built her customer list.

“I can proudly say that my four children have studied and graduated through my small income generating project,” she said.

She said tailoring, once her only option, was now her pride.

“These days, I earn money every day compared to when I started where it used to take me a week.”

She said resilience kept her going through tough times.

Her story shows that with sacrifice, determination and hard work, even challenges can be stitched into a life of success.