At 45, and the sole provider for six children, Seini Tabaki has rebuilt her life around a small but steady food stall at Valelevu Market in Nausori, selling mixed nama, kokoda and other seafood combinations alongside boiled cassava, dalo and vudi. The newly disclosed details of her routine and finances show how a long struggle — including a painful divorce 15 years ago — has been converted into a disciplined, faith-driven plan to keep her family afloat.
Seini, who lives on Vuci Road in Nausori, is originally from Waikete in Nakelo, Tailevu Province, and has maternal links to Cautata in Bau. Before moving to market vending she ran a varied food business in Nausori Town, selling food packs, fish batter, cassava and homemade pastries such as pies and banana cakes. After the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted incomes and schooling, she shifted to the Valelevu Market stall to create a more reliable revenue stream while juggling the costs of raising six children.
The pandemic was a turning point: with three of her children in high school and one in tertiary study at the time she changed strategy to ensure tuition, rent and household bills were covered. “I saw that life was getting a bit tougher so I thought of changing to a new business,” she said, explaining the move to a market stall where fresh seafood and boiled roots are in steady demand. She describes her stall not merely as a workplace but as “the lifeline that keeps her family going.”
Seini’s approach to money is methodical. She said she first puts her tithe away, then saves both in the bank and through M-PAiSA and a group savings scheme, setting aside about $250 each week. That saving habit is part of a wider plan to shield her family from future shocks and to make sure none of her children “go through the hardships I went through,” she said.
Faith and persistence underpin Seini’s story. To cope with the trauma of divorce she made daily prayer a habit, and combined belief with hard work: “I prayed every day, believing God would see me through. I didn’t just believe, I worked hard on what I believed in.” Left to play both parental roles, she said she made sure she was “both their mum and dad,” insisting her children watched her perseverance and learned from it.
Seini’s experience is emblematic of many small-scale entrepreneurs across Fiji who were forced to rethink livelihoods after the pandemic’s economic shock. Her message is direct: “Women are strong inside, we can do both a woman and a man’s job. As long as we have the heart and the right mindset we can do anything.” Her disciplined savings, diversified selling experience and faith-fuelled resilience illustrate how surviving hardship has given new meaning and stability to her life.
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