Krishna Kanta Dass is a qualified nurse and a mother of two beautiful daughters. Her oldest daughter has an intellectual disability, and she struggles with basic life skills.
She demonstrates resilience through her daily tasks and activities. Additionally, her youngest daughter Shyama lived and worked in Fiji to support and care for Sheena. Shyama lives in Hamilton.
Prabhashni took on the responsibility of caring for Sheena during the most critical phase of her life, while Krishna worked and lived in New Zealand. From 2007 to 2009, Prabhashni balanced caring for Sheena and studying to be a doctor at the same time. Her sacrifice meant so much to her mother, Krishna Kanta.
Krishna cannot express enough gratitude toward her daughter, Prabhashni Rao. Words cannot fully describe it. Family is very dear to Krishna, and she holds her loved ones close to her heart.
Krishna studied nursing at Lautoka Nursing School in the Fiji Islands, beginning in 1980 and graduating at the end of 1983. Nursing is everything to her; it is her life’s practice to help others; to help solve their problems, and support them in overcoming illnesses and life’s many challenges.
She developed this passion at a very early age, while attending to her grandmother’s needs. She fell in love with the profession and never looked back. Studying to become a trained nurse presented many challenges, and she endured a lot of grief during this phase of her life.
Her first placement was very stressful, but working as a community nurse has taught her invaluable life lessons that she will always cherish. Rural areas require extensive public health education and awareness, and her role as a community nurse in such areas taught her a great deal. As a trained nurse, she acknowledges that this career has its own challenges.
Though the nursing profession has taught her patience, persistence and perseverance. She also highlights the importance of nursing and how it played a significant role in this book. She recalls that in her early 1980s, staff nurses were highly disciplined and showed immense respect to their peers. However, much has changed over the years now, everyone is treated with equal respect, and there is no strict hierarchy.
She reaches out to the underprivileged people from all walks of life. She conducts food projects for this most vulnerable group of people through her ministry with the help of her team.
Krishna moved to Sydney in Australia after the Fiji Coup in 1984 and worked in hospitals and rest homes, including Lidcombe, Blacktown Hospital, Charles Wentworth Private Hospital, West Mead Centre and several rest homes.
After returning to Fiji from Australia, she worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb as a pharmaceutical representative, based at Makan’s Drugs in Lautoka. She later moved to work as a nutritional representative for Nestlé. Additionally, she worked with the Embassy of the United States of America, serving as a healthcare provider for the embassy staff in Fiji in the early 2000s.
She also started her own restaurant business The Appetizer in Suva and operated a pharmaceutical business named Koolas Diagnostics, specialising in first-aid kits and other pharmaceutical products.
After moving to New Zealand from Fiji, Krishna worked in various private hospitals, primarily in the aged care sector. She is a well-known health professional in the New Zealand aged care sector.
Her current role is a clinical nurse manager at two residential care facilities in Auckland, New Zealand.
She continues to work as a nurse while also serving in her Christian ministry, fruits of the living God. She is passionate about reaching out to the underprivileged people from all walks of life.
Her ministry includes charitable projects, such as distributing food packs to the underprivileged individuals and handing out tracts in public places and weekend Markets in Auckland, N.Z.
She also visits the Grace Foundation, supporting Women in Rehabilitation homes who are preparing to transition into the community.
It is better to give than to receive.
“I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way we must help the weak,” remembering the words that Jesus himself said, “there is more happiness in giving than in receiving.”
-Acts 20:35
Life lessons learnt:
- Take chances.
- Embrace change.
- If you refuse to change, time will change you.
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