Page 14 - Islands Business March 2022

The Future of Work The Future of Work

Mere Tuivuniwai

WHEN HOME IS AN OFFICE, A

CHURCH AND A SCHOOL

By Mere Tuivuniwai reinvent ways of play and learning. The home improvement
exercise became an unexpected (but welcome) outcome of
We all have COVID-work stories. For Fijian communications the pandemic.
consultant Mere Tuivuniwai, it was a chance for her family As working parents, we saw the need to have a working
to build resilience, flexibility and positivity. She shares her space that is completely detached from the rest of the home
story. creating a clear separation from our work and personal life.
When Fiji confirmed its first COVID-19 case on the 19th of What started with converting our garage into an office space
March 2020, I didn’t envision that it was going to be a positive grew, and within four months we had transformed our living
disruption for my family and that my professional career was space. The home improvement project was a whole family ef-
going to take a turn for the better. In 2019, I began my own fort with everyone pitching in, painting, laying tiles and most
consultancy offering communication services after being in importantly having fun as a family.
the communications for development(C4D) space for over 10 While some of us see home upgrades as an expensive exer-
years and working 8-5 jobs. I had just taken on a six months’ cise, my husband and I deliberated over our plans and phased
consultancy with an international NGO based in Suva, Fiji it out according to our budget. We upgraded room by room,
when the pandemic hit and restrictions and eventually lock- we considered our expenses and budgeted a set amount each
downs were imposed across the country. month to purchase materials for the project. If there were
Days in curfew and lockdown presented my family and I the savings for that month, we would purchase what we needed
opportunity to explore our immediate environment. With the for the next phase. We managed great savings and discounts
home morphing into an office, a church, and a school, we saw by shopping around and looking out for sales and bargains.
the need to make improvements to our home, be creative and Interestingly, we got our home office tables and chairs at a

14 Islands Business, March 2022