Soldier’s Dream to Build Home for her Parents Comes True
Determination and trusting in God can take you a long way. That was the mantra that 28-yearold Marica Kotobalavu lived by to help her overcome the adversities that she faced while struggling to make ends meet.
Seven years ago if you told her that she would fulfil her dream of building a house for her parents and run multiple side businesses, she would never have believed it. Now a Corporal in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Marica’s story is nothing short of inspirational. Growing up in Navonu, Vanua Levu as the youngest of three children with self-employed parents who farmed for a living, Marica always had the ambition of becoming a businesswoman.
After completing secondary school at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial School in Suva, she enrolled for a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Accounting and Finance at the Fiji National University in 2014.
It wasn’t an easy journey as her parents were not financially stable enough to support her education so one year later she put her studies on pause and jumped at the opportunity to join the Army.
“I was alone in Suva finding my own way to FNU Nasinu to carry on with my studies. In early 2015 the female recruitment to boost gender equality in the RFMF was published so I took the chance to try army recruitment,” she said, adding that she did so without her parent’s permission.
“I even left the house without them knowing I was at the army training group which is FTG (Force Training Group). A few weeks later they tried to contact me but they couldn’t reach me because we weren’t allowed to have mobile phones in the camp.”
Parents find out
Her parents cried when they later found out she was in army recruitment and saw her with her hair shaved and loss of weight from training.
Her struggles did not end there. After her pass out from FTG, Marica became a reserve officer meaning she was not paid.
With no source of income she set out to look for odd jobs to do.
“I used to look for jobs from shop to shop but I wasn’t given any chance. One day 15 of us were recruited to work in a factory in Nausori. I was happy I took the chance. Working there was a blessing,” she said.
“On our first day we were told that we would be peeling cassava and dalo. On my first day I remember I could only peel one bag of cassava and half a bag of dalo. After a few weeks of learning I managed to peel eight bags.”
Earning a meagre wage of about $130 a week, wasn’t enough to sustain her throughout the week having to budget for bills, travelling expense, food and her tithe.
“We always scrambled to do overtime work so that we could earn a bit more. Wednesday and Thursday afternoons were my walking days from Nausori to Cunningham so that I could keep money for my bus fare in the morning paid again.”
Shortly after because of her accounting background she was chosen to participate in a Military Procurement Officer course which changed it all for her as she was paid for it.
Upon completion of the course Marica was posted to the Directorate Peace Support Operation. “That’s where I started earning more. After three years I was promoted to Lance Corporal, three years later I was promoted again to full Corporal.
“Most of my pay I sent to my parents to plant yaqona for me. I was also given a chance to go on Tour of Duty. With all my TOD money I was able to build a new house for my parents in Vanua Levu. Now my yaqona is matured, harvesting has started and my Kava business is rolling.
“I am now investing back into my family and supporting them and those in need. All their struggles to send us to school and put food on the table drove me to change our lifestyle.
“I told myself I’m not going to live like this in the future. I have to struggle for my own self and change my parents living situation before they depart this life.
“I’ve heard from my own family that I am incapable. They looked down on me because at the time they saw me wasting my life away with friends but the trust I have in God pushed me through all these years.”
Marica comes from Nukuni, Onoi-Lau with maternal links to Waciwaci, Lakeba, Lau.
She recently resumed her studies as a second year student and hopes to graduate soon with her Bachelor’s degree. until we got