RESPECT for others and treating one's neighbours like a relative are the virtues 76-year-old Ram Narayan Jokhan (pictured left) learnt from his late father.
They are virtues the Nakaulevu man from Navua strives to live by.
Mr Jokhan is prominent in Navua because of his dedication to the community.
As the fourth-born among nine siblings, he was only able to reach Class Eight because they were poor.
After about five years of helping his father on the farm, he got a job with a construction firm where he learnt the trade on the job.
Years of hard work saw him move up the ladder.
Eventually, he was able to help others and soon was drawn to volunteering his time and skills when he was not working.
"I took a volunteer team of 20 and helped build the double-storey Rampur Primary School building," he said.
"We also upgraded the health centre building and placed new curtains.
"Those times were good," reminisced Mr Jokhan.
"People were generous and did volunteer work to help the community.
"It is different now because there is a price tag attached to everything."
Mr Jokhan is a trustee of the Rampur Education Society.
Apart from the projects he has helped the school with, Rampur Primary is special because he was once a student who used the same classrooms and walked the same footpath.
The father-of-five says education is important and it was a value instilled by his father.
He fondly recalls his father beating him and his siblings over their school work.
"My father (an indentured labourer from Basti in Uttar Pradesh) was very strict about our education.
"I can still remember when he used to sit with a stick to make sure I read my books."
He is proud all his children have been educated well.
He offers that aside from academia, it is important for children to be taught moral values from a young age "because it helps mould them into responsible adults who care about the society's well-being".
"Many children take drugs, smoke and drink, some are involved in crime and some do not pay respect to the elderly."
He said that sometimes, children were influenced by their peers but if they had proper guidance from the start, they would not be easily influenced.
Mr Jokhan also laments the low value people place on building good relations with their neighbours.
"Neighbours are the closest and immediate relative of a household.
"In the old days, when a house would catch fire, it would be the neighbours who would try to help save the house by carrying buckets of water or call the fire brigade.
"But these days, neighbours hardly talk to each other. They would fight over chicken and fence.
"The Scripture says people should love and respect every human being but it was disturbing to see some are not practising it."
Mr Jokhan believes that those who practise these are successful at work and in their society,
The acting principal of Rampur College, Sarita Prasad, said Mr Jokhan was the pride of the school since he was the only elder left in the school community.
"He takes much pride in school activities whatever the school is involved in, sports or examinations. He is always there to provide his support to the children and teachers," said Ms Prasad.
She said Mr Jokhan even involved himself in the school's renovation and its fundraising.
"He is a friendly man who is easy to speak to and always visits the school because he feels attached to it."
"He was once the school manager before he became a trustee."
