Marama sacrifices Easter rest for family survival

While many enjoyed a day of rest on Good Friday, Diperina Marama spent hers working at the Labasa Market — driven by the need to support her family as living costs rise.

The 68-year-old vendor said earning extra income and preparing for possible food price increases mattered more than taking a break.

At the market this morning, Ms Marama was busy selling powdered kava, dried tobacco leaves (suki) and salusalu.

She said uncertainty over possible food price increases due to rising fuel costs and freight had made early preparation crucial.

A market vendor for the past 17 years, Ms Marama said she decided to use her time wisely to generate income for her family.

“I am a Catholic, so my Easter church service will be held in the afternoon, so I decided to come to the market and sell kava for some extra holiday income,” she said.

Originally from Vuna in Taveuni, she said the cost of living in Labasa had increased each year and the fuel situation would make it harder to afford basic food items.

“So extra effort is needed to ensure our cash flow is above our expenses to meet our household needs.”

Ms Marama said every adult in a household needed to work and make sacrifices to put food on the table.

“No more adults can stay idle and rest because the price of goods and services are increasing and hope for a decrease or normalisation is difficult to imagine now,” she said.

The soft-spoken 68-year-old said age was no barrier when it came to earning for her family.

She said maintaining a good diet kept her fit to continue working and she hoped to keep earning for as long as she was able.

“I try my best to ensure we have enough income to satisfy our food needs and wants.”

She said more people were turning to multiple sources of income to stay financially afloat.

Ms Marama plans to sell again on Easter Monday to improve her weekly income target.