Taking care of a family, paying rent and looking after a person living with disabilities with a job that doesn’t pay more than $180 a week is no easy feat says 59-year-old Sunil Chand, a resident of Nasese, Suva, said.
Mr Chand has been selling accessories such as shoe polish, socks, earpieces, caps and hair products on the streets of Suva for over 15 years.
“My wife passed away a few years back, so I now live with my daughter and her husband,” Mr Chand said.
Although he is the only person working in the family, he always ensures his family never goes to bed hungry. “Yes, life is hard, but it is up to you if you choose to give up or to take it head-on.”
Mr Chand says careful budgeting and saving has been the strategy to having enough money to carry out his duty as the head of his house.
“I buy my products from middle men and some Chinese shops in Suva and bring them here where I sell them.
He said there were times when he felt overwhelmed and was at the edge of losing hope, but he would gather his feelings and thoughts and continue to face each day.
“Rent money takes a huge chunk out of my earnings, so only very little is left for our household shopping.”
He said he received help from a Chinese businessman, who provided him transport to and from his home.
“Living through COVID-19 was a very difficult time for us. We survived solely on rice and dhal on a day-to-day basis and this was through the assistance we received from the Government.”
He hopes something could be done with the rise in the cost of living that had forced many people like him to dig deeper into their pockets to meet their daily needs.
