Page 32 - IB Dec 2020

SPBD SPBD

“IT’S ALL ABOUT HONESTY” SAYS SUSANA

“[For] us women, there are always ways to earn money,” side; if the weather is good, we cook outside. I thank SPBD for
says Susana Silikiwai, a SPBD member from Kalokolevu village giving me the wisdom and the knowledge, I am really happy
on Viti Levu. with SPBD; [and have] extended my house.”
Susana was one of the members who came to Suva to Susana continues to think about how she can increase her
celebrate SPBD Fiji’s 10th anniversary recently. “I shed tears” income and diversify her business. Kalokolevu is situated on
Susana said while thinking about her SPBD journey. “I was the busy road between Suva and Nadi and she wants to take
looking at where I am now, the number of educated women advantage of this convenient location.
that could [have] come here, and that God chose me to come “I want to expand my business and do one [stall] on the
here. I thank God.” highway where we live” to sell vegetables, cooked food, juice
Susana runs a canteen and makes lovo packs. Since CO- and handicrafts.
VID-19 hit, she has also begun selling produce in Lami each “In two years’ time, I plan to purchase a van to assist with
Sunday, after 26 years selling from Suva municipal market. my farm produce and lovo pack deliveries,” she says.
Lami is well known for its small Sunday market populated by Susana is also keen to buy a pool table to entertain the
Seventh Day Adventists like Susana (who mark their sabbath many children that come to her home and to further improve
on Saturdays), and Susana says she can earn more on that one her kitchen.
day than if she were to come into Suva market four days a As a participant in the Fiji Bloom small and medium busi-
week. ness formalisation program, Susana says her coach has advised
Susana is also training family to help in the business. “I’m her to grow vegetables to sell, rather than buying them from
teaching one of my children, my daughter. I told her not to go other suppliers.
anywhere, or work elsewhere. I told her to stay in the mar- Like other Fiji Bloom participants, she also invested F$1000
ket, for me to teach her how to buy and sell, for her to stay of her own money in the training program. “This motivates
in Lami market while I run the one in Suva.” me to explore other potential businesses out there,” Susana
Her membership with SPBD has enabled the grandmother says.
of 25 children to care for her family, grow her income and She is also grateful for the assistance SPBD has given her
extend her home, adding two extra bedrooms, a kitchen and to navigate loans and hire purchase agreements without the
sitting room. complications of detailed paperwork.
“I take care of my children, my grandchildren, and even She encourages other women in her community to follow
one of my nephews; his parents passed away. I am supporting her lead.
his education. That’s SPBD. These banks here, they can’t help “It’s all about honesty. If you don’t have honesty, you can’t
us like SPBD does. Our house is a small house, I used to say. do it. We’re poor…but I thank SPBD for raising our family’s
One small house with 2 bedrooms, no kitchen. We cook in- living standard.”

32 Islands Business, December 2020