A young man who aspired to secure a brighter future for himself and his family lost his life in a tragic accident in Lautoka on Saturday morning. Isei Tamanikalou, 21, from Matanagata in Vatukoula, was set to return to Fiji National University to pursue an engineering degree.
According to police, he was a passenger in a vehicle driven by a 30-year-old man, which crashed along Kings Road in Naviyago, near Lautoka. His grieving grandparents remembered him as a bright and promising young individual who touched the lives of everyone he encountered.
His grandmother, Makereta Laulau, is still coping with the loss. She reminisced about their last conversation just hours before the accident. “We had just returned from church, and he told me he was going to Matanagata to visit friends,” she said. “He had so many friends in the village and loved spending time with them.” That would be the last time she saw him.
“He was such a good boy. Always shy and quiet, but with so much love in his heart,” his grandfather, Epitani Tabua, expressed. “He was always cheerful and well-liked by everyone. He loved helping around the house and never asked for much.”
Mr. Tamanikalou had recently earned a certificate in electrical engineering, making his family excited for his future. “He was eager to return to university and was determined to create a better life for himself,” his grandfather noted.
Isei shared a particularly close bond with his uncle, Eloni Naidedede, who adopted him as a child. “He always called him ‘dad’ because of their close relationship. They had a very special bond,” Mr. Tabua said. “Isei was too young. He had his entire life ahead of him, and it’s incredibly hard to accept that he’s gone.”
The police investigation into the accident is currently ongoing.