Naqica never gives up
They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This was somewhat Sitiveni Naqica’s parable as he received his Certificate Three in Agriculture at the Vodafone Arena in Suva yesterday.
He is 19 and temporarily wheelchair-bound because of an injury. The Nawaisomo Village, Nagonecolo, Naitasiri young man was part of the Fiji National University graduation yesterday.
He said he would return to his village to farm after completing his education.
Mr Naqica said his mother found the course and did everything she could to get him into the school. “Coming from a struggling family, I made an oath to my mother that she would see me wear a gown,” he said.
“Now I am here, and I can’t express how grateful and joyous I am. The wheelchair came after I fell from a breadfruit tree on a rainy-day during the semester break.”
Mr Naqica was accompanied by his mother, Kasalaini Lewadali and his aunt, Siteri Naqari during the graduation.
Ms Lewadali said it was every mother’s dream to see their children succeed, even if it wasn’t through formal education. Ms Lewadali was a familiar face along the corridors of the Suva Courthouse and Parliament because of her food stall.
“As my son spent time in his aunt’s place recovering, I sold food packs and made enough money to get his gown and pay for the things he needed for this graduation,” she said.
“I could go on telling our story, but my advice to mothers is ‘when you believe in your children, they will succeed irrespective of whether it is formal education or farming and others.”
She described her son in three words: “hardworking, persistence and perseverance.
“I never doubted this kid because when he puts something to his mind, he always do it,” she said.
“This wasn’t really a surprise for me because I know my son will do great things in the future.” Mr Naqica ended his story with a bible verse.
FNU Vice Chancellor, Unaisi Nabobo, in her closing remarks, encouraged the graduates to continue striving for the best and never stop learning