Page 37 - IB April 2021

SPBD SPBD

Rajni Kiran
The road between Labasa and Savusavu is an all too familiar
stretch for Rajni Kiran.
Rajni has been a member of the South Pacific Business Develop-
ment’s Korovesi Centre in Savusavu since the service began there
eight years ago and has travelled from Labasa to Savusavu six
days a week, every week.
Needless to say, she has been instrumental in taking the sweet-
ness of Labasa-grown vegetables all the way to Savusavu where
she sells them.
“I live in Labasa, but I do my business in Savusavu. I am a
middleman; I buy most of my vegetables from farmers in Labasa
and some I bring from my garden. There is a lot of demand here
in Savusavu, so business is good here because there are not many
big farms here like in Labasa,” she said.
It’s a daily routine for the young mother of two, whose twin
daughters are in class one in Labasa.
She arrives in Savusavu market at around eight o’ clock every
morning and leaves for Labasa at three o’ clock in the afternoon.
“The business helps to put food on the table, and especially
helps in my children’s school needs,” said Rajni.
Like other ladies who are members of the Korovesi SPBD Cen-
tre, she has found the loans facility provided by SPBD to be very
helpful in growing her business and helping out with unforeseen
expenses.

Kusum Lata
It’s fair to say that the South Pacific Business Development (SPBD)
has been very helpful in the education of Kusum Lata’s two children.
When SPBD’s Korovesi Centre was established eight years ago,
Kusum was among its first members and like most of its members
today, is still there.
“My first loan was to start my business – I sell sweets and vegeta-
bles at the Savusavu market,” she said.
“The business is our only source of income and it has been very
helpful in our daily needs and also in helping put my children
through school. They are now schooling in Suva, my son has com-
pleted his three years of studying for a Bachelor of Science in Agri-
culture in Koronivia. My daughter is now doing Information System
Management in Fiji National University in Nasinu.”
In the informal economy, those involved in keeping the engines of
the micro economy churning are often ordinary simple folks like Ku-
sum and her network of businesswomen members at SPBD’s Korovesi
Centre.
What they may lack in advanced formal education they make up
for in hard work and grit.
“I make the sweets at home every morning, very early in the
morning and then after breakfast, I travel to Savusavu market with
my husband. He sells the sweets at the bean cart while I sell the
vegetables in the market,” said Kusum.
This has been the couple’s daily grind for the last six years, with
the help of SPBD to help ease the load.
“They have been very helpful. Loan approval is very fast – if the
paperwork is good, you can get the loan in one week,” she smiled.

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