1 week Ago By ANDREW NAIDU
AT the bustling bus stand of the capital city, kind-hearted Asenaca Marama, waits to serve her next customer. With persistence and tenacity, the 20-year-old Kadavu lass manages her 70-year-old grandfather’s juice stand. For Ms Marama, the juice stand has become more than a business space.
Rather, it has become her family’s beacon of hope over the past few years. Money earned from selling juice puts food on the table and pays for her family’s needs. The former Mahatma Gandhi Memorial High School student, the fifth of six siblings, has always been hardworking.
Even during the toughest times, she manages a smile and strives to do her best. “Life was tough when I was a child,” she said. “My father was the only one working in my family and we struggled.
“Sometimes there was no food at home and other times we had no food for school lunches.” But those problems did not stop her from giving it her best shot. Instead, they pushed her to become the courageous young woman she is today.
“I am a very hardworking, independent, funny and a little bit crazy,” she said. “The juice vending business has taught me a lot, that despite life’s hardships, one must keep pushing through.” Every now and them Ms Marama gets lectured by her grandfather, who is always a source of motivation and strength.
“My grandfather invites me to church and advises me to have a relationship with God and put all my trust in him,” she said. “So every time I hear hurtful words from others, I just pray to God to have mercy on them.” Despite being young and naive, Ms Marama views herself as a helping hand to people who go through a bad day.
“I offer juice to customers who’re having a bad day,” she said. “It helps them relax and sometimes it can open them up to heartfelt conversations.” Ms Marama works six days a week and enjoys dancing, singing, and playing volleyball and netball in her spare time.
She is currently learning how to play the guitar. She is deeply grateful to her parents and grandfather for being pillars of strength in her life. “If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
“I am also thankful to my friends for being there during my hardest times.” Ms Marama advises young men and women to have a positive outlook and never lose hope in life because the problems one faces “do not last forever”..
