Mum returns to class
OFTEN, we hear of people with impossible situations thriving in whatever they set their sights on. With the right people beside them and the right mentality, the impossible suddenly becomes possible.
For Lusiana Niudamu-Ratu, 34, this rings especially true.
Ms Niudamu-Ratu was raised by an aunt and namesake after her mother fell ill straight after birth. Her aunt ensured her young charge had every necessity a child needed.
Ms Niudamu-Ratu did exceptionally well in primary and secondary school. However, in 2009, at Year 13, her focus shifted to her pregnancy.
A teen mum at 18 and a school dropout, she was filled with depression, anxiety and envy for people her age pursuing their careers.
Her family members resented her, but her aunt remained by her side throughout her term of pregnancy.
Seven years later, Ms Niudamu-Ratu gained the courage to ask her husband, Jolame Ratu, to return to her studies. With the support of her husband, then a fitting machinist at the Fiji Sugar Corporation, venturing into a career seemed possible for her.
About 27 years old at the time and well into her third child, Ms Niudamu-Ratu enrolled at Nakauvadra High School with her husband preparing all the essentials required of a student.
On her first day of school, she was anxious about what people would say, however, she was relieved when they received her with open arms and warm smiles. She is especially grateful for the head of school at the time, Josefa Namata Vaciloa.
At the end of the year, Ms Niudamu-Ratu recalls meeting the janitor in the hallway. He told her she had scored the highest marks in the school.
“I will forever be thankful to the school administration and the students for making me feel welcome and for accepting me despite my age and my background,” she said.
With the aid of TELS, she enrolled in a Bachelor of Education in English and geography program in 2018. However, she withdrew from classes midway in 2019 when her mother fell ill.
Ms Niudamu-Ratu took care of her ailing mother until her passing in January three years ago. On her deathbed, her mother asked Ms Niudamu-Ratu’s elder brother Ratu Josaia Niudamu to pay for her tertiary fees so she could continue her studies.
Soon after she laid her mum to rest, she regained the courage to return to school that same year.
Ms Niudamu-Ratu then enrolled for a Bachelor’s in English and ITaukei program at the Fiji National University in Lautoka, and in keeping with his promise, brother Ratu Josaia paid for her fees over the three-year course.
With just one unit left to complete, she is looking forward to graduating in September. And she’s forever grateful for the people who’ve lent her a hand during her venture, especially her aunt Lusiana Kalokalo who took care of her children.
As she looks back on her journey, Ms Niudamu Ratu says it hasn’t been easy,
“I had to juggle motherhood and housewife duties with my studies,” she said.
Her story is a beacon of hope for others like her. Her courage in the face of adversity serves as a testament to women who’ve shared the same experience.
“Keep striving, there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
I will forever be thankful to the school administration and the students for making me feel welcome... – Lusiana Niudamu-Ratu –