In the latest development at Fiji National University, the FNU Foundation marked its one-year anniversary by opening its fourth hub at the Nasinu Campus on Thursday, 2 April 2026, stepping up its efforts to remove financial barriers for students and support essential university staff. The foundation, launched a year ago at the Bonunaqwele Campus in Nadi, has moved from an idea into an active fundraising and support operation across multiple campuses.
Vice‑Chancellor and founder of the initiative, Professor Unaisi Nabobo‑Baba, said the foundation is guided by a conviction that education should be accessible to all who are willing to work for it. “We have seen generosity translated into scholarships. We have seen partnerships evolve into opportunities. And most importantly, we have seen students empowered to dream bigger and reach further,” Professor Nabobo‑Baba told guests at the Nasinu Hub opening, describing the new space as “more than just a physical space — it symbolises accessibility, connection, and continuity.”
FNU Foundation Executive Director Kanito Lovobalavu provided concrete figures to show the foundation’s early impact. In its first 12 months the foundation has raised in excess of $100,000 in donations from corporate partners, philanthropic individuals and FNU staff, and has used those funds to assist more than 200 students. Lovobalavu said the support — sometimes modest but often timely — has helped students stay enrolled when financial hardship might otherwise have forced them to withdraw. “For many, the support received has provided comfort and continuity, often making the critical difference between staying in school or withdrawing due to financial hardship,” he said.
The foundation’s work extends beyond student scholarships to programs aimed at university staff, particularly frontline workers at western campuses. Initiatives highlighted at the anniversary event include the Coffee Forward Programme, designed to give small, regular support, and the Veilomani Closet, which supplies clothing and essentials. Lovobalavu acknowledged major corporate sponsorships that underpin those services: FMF Foods Limited supports the Veilomani Pantry, while Value City sponsors the Veilomani Closet.
With the addition of the Nasinu Hub, the FNU Foundation now operates four physical hubs that bring assistance closer to students and staff across FNU’s campuses. The foundation is encouraging further engagement from staff and the wider public through donations, volunteering and contributions of time and expertise at its hubs, with plans to scale support as resources allow.
The foundation’s milestone comes as the university continues broader efforts to expand access to tertiary education across Fiji. University leaders say the hubs are a practical, campus‑level complement to infrastructure and academic developments, aimed at ensuring that students can both access and persist in their studies. As Professor Nabobo‑Baba put it at the launch, the foundation’s aim is to ensure “that financial barriers do not hinder talent and determination,” turning community generosity into sustained educational opportunity.
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