A decade after stepping away from formal study to raise her family, 36-year-old Vanua Levu mother Alisi Kaususu walked across the stage in Suva yesterday to receive a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood from Fiji National University (FNU), an achievement made all the more poignant by the presence of her mother who sold coconuts to pay for the trip.
Kaususu was one of 664 graduates from FNU’s College of Humanities, Education and Law at the ceremony, marking the culmination of a journey that began when a chance encounter with an FNU roadshow at the Nausori market rekindled her desire to return to study. After a decade as a stay-at-home mother, she first completed a Certificate IV in Early Childhood Care and then progressed directly into the bachelor’s programme, balancing classes with parenting and family responsibilities while her husband worked away from home at the Tuvatu Gold Mines in Sabeto.
“The roadshow at the Nausori Market ignited a light and will to study to become a teacher,” Kaususu said, describing how the moment shifted her plans. She told the ceremony that, after spending 10 years “seeing my kitchen walls,” she realised she needed to contribute financially and professionally to her family’s future.
A defining personal element of the day was the presence of Kaususu’s mother, Varanisese Kawakawa, who travelled from Tawake Village in Cakaudrove on Vanua Levu to witness the graduation. Kawakawa told reporters she was proud to see her eldest child — the first in the family to attain a bachelor’s degree — and revealed she sold eight sacks of coconuts in the week leading up to the ceremony to afford the trip to Suva.
Minister for Defence Pio Tikoduadua was the chief guest at the graduation, which recognised the new cohort from one of FNU’s major colleges. Kaususu dedicated her degree to her mother, her husband Silio Tunaulu Tuivanuavou and the lecturers who supported her through study and family commitments, noting their roles in helping her reach the milestone.
Addressing other women and mothers who may be considering a return to education, Kaususu urged perseverance and faith. “To all my ladies, never stop pushing and always ‘pray until something happens,’” she said, framing her achievement as both personal and inspirational.
Her story highlights the practical and financial sacrifices families often make for education in Fiji’s outer islands, as well as the role of outreach programmes such as FNU roadshows in reconnecting adults with learning opportunities. Kaususu’s graduation yesterday stands as a tangible example of how community outreach, family support and determination can combine to change a life trajectory.