By helping her father sell vegetables at the Suva market, Tagilala Vulaono, has been able to earn a living for their family.
Her 62-year-old father, Tabua Soko, has been able to send all his three children to school by selling crops as a vendor.
“I’m the youngest of the three children and ever since I can remember my father has supported us by selling vegetables,” the 26-year-old said.
“With his earning selling fresh fruits and vegetables at the Suva municipal market, he has built three houses; one in Delainavesi, one in Tacirua and one in their village in Namuka-i-Lau (Lau).
“He plants his own cassava on his farm at Tacirua and sells it for $5-$7 a heap,” she said.
“An uncle from the village (Namuka-i-Lau) sends coconuts and vegetables to my father, so he could sell them in the market. The produces come by the inter-island vessel, Brianna. All the vegetables we sell are fresh from our family farm and in a day I can earn about $200,” she said.
[gallery columns="1" size="medium" ids="419444"]
She said their business had its ups and downs and the past months have not been easy for her.
“If I were to compare selling back then and now it’s really different. Back then we had a lot of customers and we used to earn good money but now we don’t. I think we have a lot of market vendors today that’s why we don’t have a lot of customers and make more money like we used to do before,” she said.
On a good week she said she could earn between $400 to $600 a week. On a not so good week she could only earn about $200.
She said she enjoyed selling in the market because she got to meet new people every day.
“The goods that I sell are mostly from farmers but sometimes close relatives and friends also help me out,” she said.
“I prefer selling at the market because I earn money every day and during the school holidays, I am making a lot of money.
“My busy days are from Thursday to Saturday and when it is Government pay week.”
