Sarita Kumari

Upon completion of her Masters of Financial Planning in late 2018, Sarita returned to Fiji to become involved in financial literacy and inclusion policy-making efforts that alleviate poverty and improve the livelihood of Fijians. For over a decade, Sarita has worked in financial roles in Fiji. This includes as a business advisory clerk and as an assistant auditor at the Office of the Auditor General Fiji.

In 2016, following Cyclone Winston, Sarita volunteered to help deliver distribution packs to families affected by the cyclone. Through this experience, she realised the importance of financial planning and financial literacy at the community level. Many rural communities affected by the cyclone did not have the savings to support themselves, following the loss of their income streams and their personal possessions. Sarita was inspired by this situation to apply for her current master’s degree so that she could help such communities negate unforeseen circumstances and plan for better retirements.

Sarita comes from a background that stressed the importance of being self-sustainable. She would like to support others in Fiji and the Pacific with the financial planning skills and awareness to adopt this same approach. This includes supporting women to plan their finances to improve their lives. Over the coming years, Sarita intends to take a leadership role to affect change in this area and to improve the quality of living of Fijians.