Couple helps their family and the disadvantaged through their kava and honey business

A couple’s passion and desire to help their family and the disadvantaged has motivated them to start their own kava and honey business.

Owner of Jekia Kava, Eliki Drodrolagi who is a former school teacher from Joma in Kadavu left his role as a school teacher in 1985 and went to work as a mission volunteer in Chad, Africa for 17 years and teach English.

Drodrolagi says when he returned to Fiji, he tried to recruit more volunteers to go and help, and they currently have 10 volunteers in different countries.

He says since they are volunteers that drove him to start his business and provide support for them and his family. This includes getting villagers in Joma to plant grog to earn a living.

He says it is also important that people work together as a family in the running of the business.

Drodrolagi adds that his kiosk at Rewa Street in Suva is in his neighbour’s property as he pays them to look after the kiosk. This is after he found out that his son was taking food items from their house to give to the neighbours.

He says this prompted him to shift his kiosk to his neighbours property.

An emotional Drodrolagi says they are also hoping to repair the roof of the home.

Another project that Drodrolagi is looking at starting is an educational centre to run a literacy and numeracy program.

He says he was the chairman of a secondary school in Suva and he had noticed that children who were coming into Year 9 could not read.

Drodrolagi added that they are yet to identify a location but they are keen on opening the educational centre.