SHE became involved in community work at the age of 11, and since then it has been a way of life for her.
Rotarian Marilyn Curtis also won an award at the age of 17 for her contribution to her community in Adelaide, Australia where she is originally from.
"I won the Riley Youth Leadership Award for Rotary and last year I was awarded the Paul Harris award for Fiji for service to the community," she said.
She came to Fiji in 2004 and has been involved with the Rotary Club and the Fiji Cancer Society.
Her husband, who is the operations manager of Goodman Fielder, is the president of Rotary Club of Suva North.
"My two sons live and work in Adelaide," she said.
Curtis was working for four charity organisations before she came to Fiji.
"Before I left, I had my picture in the paper for my community work I had done in Australia," she said.
Amazingly, she even held a full-time job at the time.
"I have lived in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu in the past," she said.
She ran International Boarding School in PNG and was also the assistant scout commissioner.
"I won a medal in PNG for my contribution to the community," she said.
Curtis is the board member with Rotary club of Suva North and handles donations in kind.
"I also handle medical supplies coming into the country and it's my job to distribute it to hospitals, NGO's and other places," she said.
Her fundraising efforts and the club projects have led her to travel all over Fiji.
"Because of permits here, I haven't had a job but I have always worked and done community work," said the former teacher and fashion consultant.
She said a highlight in her community work so far was when she established a program in Australia to promote children to do community work. It was set up eight years ago and is still still running today.
"I also got an award for that program," she said.
Equally significant, she reckons, is her work with the cancer society.
She is the driving force behind the establishment of a hospice for cancer patients. The project is near completion.
"Just bringing awareness to the people of Fiji has been a great experience," she said.
"I have done a lot and they are all equally important to me; I have been blessed to do community work," she said.Curtis says her biggest challenge is frustration.
"When a lot of people do not want to achieve something as fastas you want to achieve, it can be frustrating," she shared.
"There are lots of challenges I don't want to remember but you handle that as part of the service," she said.
Curtis, who has lost two of her loved ones to cancer, wants to do even more to raise awareness in Fiji.
"Sometimes people do not understand in making changes for the poor; often cancer patients are very poor and need help," she said.
She said cancer patients in Fiji needed help with more treatment and people need to be more considerate.
"One does not need to have a lot of money to help people," she pointed out.
"Just giving someone a blanket, visiting and sharing a joke is enough.
"I am lucky that my husband has given me the time to do what I am doing," she said.
Her own experience with life has motivated her to help people more.
That was when a blood vessel in her head had exploded and she lost consciousness, the community worker recalls.
"I fought for 10 days to stay alive," she rcalled.
"I was given three hours to live but I am here today," she said.
"That gave me more strength (for community work)."
