My Great-grandmother
My great-grandmother, Savitri, who is now 86 (nearly 87) is the most amazing woman I know. I would like to share her story before anyone else’s because she is the reason my family is where they are now.
October 31st, 1931 - Fiji
Savitri (Dadanani as I call her) was born into a family with 4 sons, another daughter to come and 3 more sons after her.
This was not uncommon for a family who lived on a farm in Fiji at the time as many children were needed to help.
Being the oldest daughter however, meant her responsibilities remained mostly around hospitality and housework. She was sent to school for a few years, but was taken out after a while even though her brothers continued their education. This was also considered ‘normal’ in her society, much to her dismay. It still saddens her today.
Age 13
At the young, tender age of 13, she was married to my great-grandfather who was 17 at the time. Both of them were rather young, but it shocks me that this was acceptable and expected in society!
She moved to the farm of her husband’s family and continued her duties as a wife and in the farm.
Age 17
In 1947, Savitri gave birth to her first child, a daughter - my grandmother. She was determined to make sure what happened to her education would not happen to her daughters - as a matter of fact, she spent her entire life achieve that goal.
Later on in life
After having 9 children of her own, it was harder than ever, especially as a woman, to ensure all of them were educated - 4 of them being girls. My great-grandfather was a taxi driver who often felt sorry for poor people in the town and would drive them for free, spending the little money he earned mostly on drinks. He was not a bad person, but he still left all the household and farm duties on her shoulders.
She and some of the older children did the majority of the farming, planting, harvesting and tending to the animals. While Savitri worked long, hard hours in the farm, Savita, my grandmother, would take care of her younger siblings.
At night, Savitri would help them with their homework to the best of her abilities and urge them to study hard and ensure their future. However, the main problem wasn’t the children, it was the school fees. Being a family with 9 children and a farm, it was extremely difficult to earn enough to send all her children to school. Yet still, she worked and worked and went to the markets to sell their harvest and make enough money to educate them all.
Dinner would often be what was harvested from the fields, their milk coming from the cows and etc.
And like this, my great grandmother achieved her goal.
~
Savita, determined not to let her mother down, went on to study abroad and achieved a lot in her life, however, that is another story.
My Dadanani is the reason my family is here and I am so grateful to her. If I could I would spend every waking moment with her. Now she has dementia and does not remember many of her children and family members. She forgets her house and wants to go back to her home in Fiji. Quite often, when I call her (she is in another country) she forgets my name and remembers me as my mother’s daughter.
But she still remembers all her amazing stories and looks so cute with her glasses and dentures out. I love her more than I can ever express, and I will never ever forget her!
She passed away 😢😇
