AT the age of 23, Sikeli Naucukidi returned to school early this year and has no regrets, as he passed his Fiji Year 13 Certificate examination, gratified with his results, knowing there is hope for a better future.

The Delakado, Dawasamu, Tailevu man walks to school everyday for his 8pm classes, walks to his various workstations as a security officer and walks back home because he doesn’t earn much to fill his bus card.

“I heard about the Matua Program at Nabua Secondary School from a friend so I told my wife that I’d attend and I had to pay $120 for the year,” he said.

“Apart from paying my fees, I had to buy food for my family especially for our daughter and it’s not cheap. But seeing my exam results a few days ago brought tears to my eyes because it has always been God’s faithfulness.

“When I spend my weekly pay on these things, I don’t even have enough to pay my bus fare or a taxi to take my daughter to hospital when she is sick or to even treat my wife.

“We have made many sacrifices especially me when I walk from home to Vatuwaqa for work or to town, then walk back to Nabua for classes and then back home in Tamavua.

“But I was determined to do this because I want to give my daughter a better and brighter future. I don’t want her to go through what we went through as her parents.”

Sikeli and his wife Siteri who hails from Rukuruku on Ovalau have called on school dropouts and school leavers to continue with their education because nothing is impossible. “If my husband can do it, so can anyone who is determined to do better in life. I am a housewife and whatever money my husband earns is enough for us,” Siteri said. “When life is tough, we can have rice and tea as our meal for a few days or curry pawpaw and that’s OK because our goal is to achieve a good future for our daughter.”

Sharing the struggles he faced in life while in USP four years ago, Sikeli said it was a real challenge. “I was 19 years old doing Foundation studies at the University of the South Pacific when I found out that my girlfriend and now wife, Siteri Saqabobo was pregnant,” he said.

“When she told me the news, I accepted but it was one of the toughest times of our lives because we experienced a backlash from our families and relatives as we were young.

“It came to a point in which we decided to focus on God, stay together, work together and love each other as we prepared for the arrival of our baby, who is now three years old. All that determination we had to overcome the rough patches of life has paid off.”

The couple live in Tamavua with a close family friend whom they’ve described as a great support who inspires them.

l Editorial Comment: PAGE 8