MEET THE EXPATS: SAVITA TIWARI

Savita was born and bred in India and found herself thrown head first into island life in Mauritius twelve years ago, when she moved here with her husband, a Hindu priest. Happy, lively and definitely the most patriotic non-Mauritian person we have ever met, it appears that destiny is what truly brought her to this beautiful island, as you will later find out. Here is what happened when we met fellow journalist Savita a couple of weeks ago…

Hi Savita, thank you so much for meeting with us! So firstly, please can you tell us a little bit about how you ended up in Mauritius?

My husband was working here before we got married and I was working as a journalist in India. We studied together in Mumbai and were both journalists but my husband also studied to become a priest and he’s a priest here in Mauritius now. He changed his path to focus more on the spiritual, but he still writes. People find it so difficult to understand, as I’m a journalist and he’s a priest – so we always have to explain to people that we studied together.

And what brought your husband to Mauritius in the first place?

Someone from Mauritius travelled to Mumbai and happened to meet my husband and told him about this country and the village of La Laura in St Pierre, Moka. People don’t normally go to this small village for work but my husband thought he would give it a try and came for a year. Each year he has had his contract renewed and we’ve now been here for 12 years!

Did you manage to find work as journalist when you first arrived here?

I actually wasn’t writing for one or two years when I arrived in Mauritius. I took some time to get a feel of the country. Whilst my husband was performing pujas around Mauritius, I would go with him and explore the surrounding areas. Through that I’ve managed to visit all the villages of Mauritius! Then I started writing again as a freelancer for the newspaper I was writing for before in India, as well as some other publications. 

Was turning to freelance work a difficult transition for you?

Not at all. In fact, coming to Mauritius wasn’t difficult at all. People were speaking Hindi in our village. I saw people wearing sarees and they were celebrating all the festivals we were celebrating in India, so it wasn’t difficult to settle down. I often write about Mauritius for the publications in India - sometimes about issues around children, women and relationships.

When you moved to Mauritius, how did your family and friends react back home?

My mother would say go and find someone else who is in India! *laughs* But my father was very cool about it. He liked the young man and everyone else was happy. At that time there wasn’t any Whatsapp or Skype, so I used the cards to call home and ask how to cook rice…etc. In Mauritius, most people tend to cook their sweets at home and I missed going to the shops to buy sweets. But the time came and I began to learn to cook these things at home. I can even make ‘gateau bananne’ and ‘gateau piment’ very well. My family are so surprised that I can cook so many dishes!

Speaking of food, what are your thoughts on Mauritian cuisine?

I like it. My daughter also likes it a lot. She likes rougaille so much, with paneer (Indian cheese) and soya. For seven years, I didn’t taste ‘rougaille’ at all, as it was so red! Then slowly we started having it, as my daughter loves it. 

What was your first impression of Mauritius?

When I saw it from the plane, I saw roads sunken between green fields. And when I came to the ground, I found that it is not sunken roads but ten foot high sugar canes on both sides of the road! And so, my first impression was that this island is not what it seems to look. If you want to see the reality of this island, you have to see it from a different angle.

And what have you found by looking at it from another angle?

I found that the Mauritius that I saw in beautiful tourism promotion brochures and on Google images is very different from its original image. There is so much hard work of local peoples and there are the sacrifices of the ancestors who made this island beautiful. There is a whole lot of history of making this island beautiful.

How do you find Mauritius now? Are there any differences to life in India, especially in regards to Hindu festivals?

Mauritius is a small country and very multi-cultural. With the festivals, the Mauritians seem to be more dedicated to celebrations. In India, it’s sometimes taken for granted. People will most likely go to the temple, but in Mauritius it is a given. The children will always be taken to the temple. It’s because they have been uprooted and they don’t want to lose the connection with the culture. They have to work hard to preserve the culture, as so many people have sacrificed their lives to preserve the culture. 

Is there anything that you have personally found challenging about being here?

My role here. I was a tomboy kind of journalist back in India. I used to wear jeans, t-shirts and sport shoes. And suddenly I was the Acharyaji’s (Hindu Priest) wife. And more challenging was that people started to see me as an ideal figure. Whatever I did was ultimately related to India, so suddenly I realised my country’s image is dependent on my behavior. I became more responsible and mature in just a short space of time.  

Do you like the responsibility of being the Priest’s wife?

Yes, I love this. All devotees coming to the temple call me ‘Mataji’. Most of the people around me don’t even know my name. Sometimes even I forget my own name. But we know each other by the affection and respect. 

Were you spiritual before marriage?

Yes a lot, but it was very personal. I didn’t know much about my husband’s job. It was after marriage that I realised and started respecting this profession; when I saw him solving peoples’ problems, conducting prayers with so much devotion, teaching people the value of time and the real meaning of prayers. 

Did you find anything else challenging about living here?

Probably the opportunity to write. I’m still writing for Indian newspapers and I feel there aren’t really so many opportunities to write here.

You live in the village of La Laura. Are there many other Indian expats there?

They’re all Mauritians. All of the Indians in Mauritius tend to live in Sodnac, in Indian communities. With the work we do, we tend to integrate and mix more with the local community. I’m quite comfortable. I feel like the Mauritians are my family. I don’t speak French and Creole even after more than ten years of being here, as everyone speaks Hindi and Bhojpuri to us. Everyone in La Laura is like a family. Even with the kids, sometimes in the temple, I don’t know where they are, but they are always around with people from the village. 

So you have children. How have you found the schools here for them?

I’ve found them to be very good. The free education is of a very good level, which differs from India, where it’s only the paid schools that have the quality. One thing as a journalist that I find quite worrying is the level of dropouts at school here. Every time I meet parents whose kids have dropped out, I try to explain the importance of education to them.

Why do you think there’s such a high drop out rate?

There’s a policy in the companies where the pay scale is different for graduates and non-graduates. It’s easier to get a job if they haven’t graduated, as the employers prefer to pay them less without them graduating from school. They have to train them anyway – so they prefer to take the workers who haven’t graduated. This is why the students prefer not to finish. I’ve found this out by speaking a lot to the kids. The elders won’t speak about this, but the kids will as they’re the ones facing these problems. That’s why I like to tell people to take the time to speak to the kids and then we can solve the problems. This is a small country so it can easily be solved. Education is so necessary for kids. 

Moving back to your life here, is there anything you particularly love about Mauritius?

Yes - the water and sea! My kids also love the beaches and swimming. Our favourite beach is Mont Choisy.

There’s a river behind our house and the kids love playing there also. The government has made steps to go down. Our house is behind the temple and there are no other houses. It’s as if we have our own private river.

Are there any activities that you and your husband enjoy in Mauritius?

We really like hiking so much. My husband has actually climbed to the head of Pieter Both. I haven’t done it yet. I’m not sure I’ll have the stamina to make it to the top.  

Would you recommend moving to Mauritius to someone who is considering it?

Definitely! It’s probably one of the safest places in the world. There is a democratic government and people are living peaceful lives. 

For me, Mauritius is La Laura. In 2021, we’ll be celebrating its 100 year anniversary.

You’ve mentioned La Laura a few times. What is it about this village that makes it so special to you?

When I was in India I was watching a serial on TV called Stone Boy and that was about Pieter Both Mountain. And through this as a child, Mauritius was the first country that I knew existed outside of India and La Laura was the first village I’d heard of. So when I landed at the airport and saw Pieter Both and we were driving closer and closer towards it, I couldn’t believe I was actually going to be staying here. I had goose bumps. When I open my window and from every room in my house, I can see Pieter Both Mountain. 

That’s amazing! Is there anything else you would like to mention about your life in Mauritius?

I often go for blood donations. If I’m staying in a country and my family are earning a living here and my children are going to school, I feel I should be able to give back, in a social service capacity or something like this. This is why I go for the blood donations, despite being so scared of giving blood. I have never done this in India. I feel a certain kind of obligation that if you are living somewhere, you should return something to the country.

And finally, what are your plans for the future?

I make lots of plans, but I don’t lead. I make people lead the way. I like to be the helping backbone. So if anyone wants to start any venture related to writing or publishing, I am all hands! I want people to publish a Hindi newspaper, Bhojpuri newspaper, a newspaper just for kids, maybe in Creole or French. I will back such kind of projects. For now, I am a happy writer and poet.

By Sabah Ismail & Khalid Khadaroo