‘Leave the place better than you found it’

Let’s leave the world in a better place than we found it.

Those were the words of Kokila Wati, 84, a descendant of Girmitiyas who reflects on legacy, resilience and hope while receiving a commemorative plaque in Nadi on Thursday evening.

“Since receiving the message for the event from Sushila Ramesh, I had been looking forward to this day,” Ms Wati said.

“I feel honoured to receive this commemorative plaque. It is more than just a plaque. It represents the legacy and journey of real people who believed in being part of something greater.”

She said this would be part of the blueprint for the generations to trust the system, no matter how many seas are crossed.

Originally from Mulomulo, Nadi, Ms Wati was born on December 10, 1942.

She said people should always believe in doing something meaningful to make the world better.

“My grandparents came from Uttar Pradesh,” she said.

Ms Wati married Ragunath Sharma in 1960 and they had two daughters and a son.

She has seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Ms Wati lives with her son, Pundit Rajeshwar Prasad, 59, a vendor at the Nadi Market.

“To be fit all times do walk a lot,” she said. Lautoka Girmit Centre manager Selva Nadan said it was the first time the organization had reached out to the community to host the event in Nadi.

“We would normally hold this event in Lautoka, but because of logistical reasons we decided to host it here for people living within the Lautoka-to-Nadroga corridor, including Nadi residents,” he said.

Mr Nadan added that the event aimed to bring the younger generation closer to the often-forgotten Girmit generation.