Adi Cakobau School sprinter Frances Tuva is one of the two-track athletes that will be competing in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Malake in Ra lass hopes to win a gold medal in this competition.
Tuva is confident that despite her injury, she will create waves on the track.
“My aim for this Commonwealth is to get gold and break the fastest time for my following events.”
This is the first time an ACS student has represented the nation in such a competition.
Tuva is hoping to make her country proud in this competition.
The Commonwealth Youth Games team departed our shores yesterday.
The competition will be held from the 4th to the 11th of this month.
Yvonne Nalewabau of Adi Cakobau School who won gold after a jump of 11.00 metres
Yvonne Nalewabau of Adi Cakobau School who won gold after a jump of 11.00 metres in the Senior Girls Triple Jump, says her parents came all the way from Lautoka to watch her at the HFC Bank Stadium today.
Nalewabau says the challenges faced during her preparation for the Coke Games was her academic performance and training.
She adds it was tough as she had to wake up early in the morning to train.
Nalewabau dedicates her win to God, her parents, coaches, teachers, parents and all the students that supported her.
The silver medal went to Holy Cross College student Imakula Leqeua, while Laisani Kuridua of Sigatoka Methodist High School won the bronze.
Vane Dulukorewa Nawalowalo with her family in her younger days. =
In the remote village of Drekeniwai, nestled in the famed Natewa Bay, young Vane Dulukorewa Nawalowalo’s life took shape in a world she neither chose nor resented.
Her parents were civil servants and they were posted to Vaturova in Cakaudrove, where she attended Korotasere District School.
It was at this school, where she attended class one to six, that her journey toward an illustrious career began.
“Growing up in a school like that and then attending ACS was a great advantage because I had learned a lot of things about living independently,” she reminisced, the memories of her early years in the village still vivid in her mind.
“There is a lot of things girls in town don’t do like cooking with firewood outside – vakatoka ti. It’s a good upbringing when you are raised in the village, and I was fortunate to be brought up in one.”
Because of the school’s distance from home young Nawalowalo did not enjoy going o the village during the school holidays.
“We stayed in school because our parents were in Vanua Levu,” she said.
Her father was a teacher and her mother a nurse.
Their dedication to their professions meant that their young daughter’s education would be spent away from the comfort of the home.
It was a lesson in resilience that would serve her well in the years to come.
After completing her education at Adi Cakobau School (ACS), Nawalowalo transitioned directly into the workforce, beginning her career in 1968.
“We were prepared from school towards the end of the year,” she said, with the sound of youthful determination in her voice.
“We sat exams, and I was lucky to go to ACS.”
At work, she enjoyed the support of her school mates who also grew up in the village and were also former pupils of ACS.
“Ulamila Toroki and Ulamila Laisa made it easier for those of us who just joined,” she said.
The transition from the rural tranquility of Vanua Levu to the bustling world of Sawani was indeed a leap, but Nawalowalo’s village upbringing had prepared her well for the challenges of city life.
As a commercial studies student, she was part of a group that was eventually absorbed into the workforce straight after school.
Their journey into the civil service marked the beginning of remarkable careers.
“With family already serving the country, it was natural for me to join the government,” Nawalowalo said.
“It was safer for us girls at the time to join government because there were rules established, and coming from boarding school into a government department — for me, I would rather make that my career choice than the private sector.”
Her first job was working as a typist in the Department of Social Welfare, where she worked under the guidance of an expatriate deputy director.
It was a humble beginning for a young woman determined to make her mark in the world.
“Initially, I wanted to work as a social welfare officer,” she said.
“I loved the idea of going to serve the people and going to see the needy. But my career panned out differently. I was to be a typist, so my work experience began.”
At this stage, she was still single and faced the rigours of a demanding job.
“When I started work, sometimes I would cry,” she admitted.
Her boss, an expatriate, had high expectations of those under him, and young Nawalowalo had to adapt to the demands of her role quickly.
“I had to go through that, and I was determined to get through all the hardships in my work. I had to concentrate and do things better.”
Born in 1949, she said she was probably just 18 or 19 years old when she embarked on her career.
The challenges were many but they only fueled her determination to succeed.
Over the years, Nawalowalo’s career took her through various government departments.
She worked in the Public Service Commission, the Cabinet Office, and eventually became the Prime Minister’s Secretary.
“I was mostly working for the Secretary to Cabinet because he was the most senior of all permanent secretaries,” she explained.
As she rose through the ranks, her work encompassed more than just typing.
She progressed to typing of legal documents which required a deep understanding of the intricacies of the law.
“My job taught me so much more than what I learned in the classroom.
“I had to work hard in all the positions I was assigned.”
Her days often stretched late into the night. But she took pride in her ability to deliver work promptly.
“My regular day would end at 9pm,” she said.
“The day’s work should be finished on the day it is given.”
In 1971, Nawalowalo got married, and her husband worked in the private sector.
The demands of her career, which often included late-night work and 24/7 availability, posed challenges to her personal life.
“Family life was difficult then,” she said, “but you had to have some sort of rhythm, especially when you are newly married.
“You have to stay together; you have to be good to him, and all would be okay. And then, you go and do your job.”
The couple also looked after other children, extending their nurturing care beyond their own family.
Despite the demands of her work, Nawalowalo flourished.
She balanced her career and family life with remarkable grace.
“I had to concentrate and do things better,” she said.
“I suppose that’s how I balanced my career. I got help from my parents, and his (husband’s) parents were also helpful – I used to take my children to them when I needed their help.”
In 2017 and 2018, after a career spanning 38 years, Nawalowalo retired from the civil service, a welldeserved respite after a lifetime of service to the country.
Throughout her career, Nawalowalo served under a number of prime ministers, including Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, Sitiveni Rabuka, and Laisenia Qarase.
Her roles ranged from working in Parliament and the Prime Minister’s Office to regional development.
She recalled her time in the Fiji Intelligence Service, where she underwent training to become an intelligence officer, driven by a desire to better understand human behaviour.
“I wanted to work hard and do what I wanted to do when people needed me,” she said.
In her illustrious career, Nawalowalo embodied dedication, resilience, and the spirit of service.
She learned to understand and adapt to the personalities of her various bosses, emphasising the importance of respecting their needs and requirements.
“You have to work out what your boss is all about.
“You have to know what he wants, you have to study what kind of person he is. Whatever he wants, it must be done, and in a quicker time.”
Now in retirement, Mrs Nawalowalo reflects on a lifetime of challenges and triumphs, and how she overcame adversity to leave an indelible mark on Fiji’s civil service.
Her story serves as a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and unwavering dedication to one’s career and responsibilities.
It is a tale that persists in igniting inspiration for future generations, a lasting legacy of service that will forever be engraved in the pages of Fiji’s history.
The Adi Cakobau School family is in mourning following the sad news of the passing of former student, teacher, principal, former President of the Old Girls Association, the late Dr. Mereia Taufa Vakatale.
Ms Vakatale was one of the pioneer students who was selected from across Fiji to study at Adi Cakobau School in 1948, 75 years ago. She was only 9 years old at the time.
Ms Vakatale was an excellent role model who inspired the younger female students to pursue their education.
She was a first at many things – she was the first indigenous female student to receive a New Zealand University Entrance after she passed both the NZ UE and Senior Cambridge exams in the same year, first indigenous woman to attain a Bachelor of Arts and did so at the University of Auckland becoming the first indigenous female to attain a degree from that institution too.
When she became Principal at Adi Cakobau School, she was the first indigenous woman to head a secondary school in Fiji and became the first local principal at that school.
She was the first national president of the Young Women Christian Association of Fiji.
When she turned to the foreign service and served as Deputy High Commissioner to Britain, she became the first woman to attain that position. She was the first indigenous woman to be Permanent Secretary for Education, first indigenous woman to be Minister for Education.
At the end of her political career, Ms Vakatale was the first woman Deputy Prime Minister and first woman to act as Prime Minister.
As another former student of Adi Cakobau School once said, “She was a very special OG who had contributed significantly to ACS as first local Principal, Permanent Secretary for Education, Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister.” After her years of service to the nation, she also contributed to our school association as its president over three years in the 90s.
All of this and more, she never once forgot her roots, or us her former students, who were not always well-behaved or well-mannered. We sang and danced with Ms Vakatale, never once doubting her leadership, her commitment to every aspect of the school’s life, to its progress and growth.
We celebrate our Principal and her legacy, recounting the many stories of the firsts that Ms Vakatale achieved in her education, career, community service and her personal life.
We extend our condolences to Alani Vakatale (90s Decade) and her family, Taufa Waqa and Marica Waqa (80s Decade), Sai Elliot and Salome Elliot (M1) and her extended family.
Rest in peace, Ma’am – Small in stature but a Giant in every other way.”
Eda sa mai rogoca tiko na i tukutuku ni o loaloa ni rarawa e sa mai solegi keda vata tiko ena nona sa mai takali e na keda maliwa o Ms Taufa Vakatale.
O Ms Vakatale e a dua vei ira na pioneer students, o ira era a digi me ra mai i tauyavu ni gone yalewa vuli e Adi Cakobau School e na 1948 – e na 75 na yabaki sa oti. E a se qai yabaki 9 toka ga e na gauna a mai tekivu kina.
O Ms Vakatale e dua e a vakaraitaki vinaka ni veika saraga e a gadrevi vei ira na I sevu ni goneyalewa era a kumuni vata yani ya me ra vakavulici ena vuli torocake.
E a liu e na veika ka kece ga -ai matai ni gone yalewa I Taukei e rawata na NZ UE, vakakoroi na Bachelor of Arts, Principal Marama ni dua na koronivuli I Viti, Deputy High Commissioner mai Peritania, Vunivola Tudei ni Vuli, Minister ni Vuli, I Vukevuke ni Prime Minister.
E na mala ni vosa ni dua na tuakada ,” She was a very special OG who had contributed significantly to ACS as first local Principal, Permanent Secretary for Education, Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister.” Ni oti mai na nona veiqaravi vakamatanitu, e a mai veiliutaki talega e na noda I soqosoqo ni vuli oti e na 3 na yabaki e na 90 vakacaca.
E dina ni rawata na veika kece oqo, e sega ni vakayawaki koya mai vei ira na nona I lala, vei keda eda gone cake, o keda eda sega ni vakaitutu cecere sara, se da tu vakavanua. E meke vata kei keda, e sega ni dau calata e dua na noda soqo se bose ka ni dau colata vakavinaka na nona I tavi e na kena vei tikina kece sara, ki na kena I vakatagedegede I cake sara.
Eda sa mai cibitaka tu oqo na noda koronivuli kei na kena I rogorogo, ia era a sa tara oti mai na vatavata cecere o ira na a liu me vakataki Ms Vakatale e na veika era rawata vakavuli, vakacakacaka, vakaveiliutaki , ka vakatalega kina e na bula vakavanua kei na bula vakaveiwekani.
Eda sa duavata kei Alani Vakatale (90s Decade) kei na nona matavuvale, o Taufa Waqa kei Marica Waqa (80s Decade), Sai Elliot kei Salome Elliot (M1) kei na matavuvale e na nona mai lolositaki o Ms Vakatale.
Ni qai gole e na vakacegu , Ma’am – Small in stature but a Giant in every other way. Rest In Peace
Vinaka vakalevu Sara, Ilisapeci Movono President – Adi Cakobau School Old Girls Inc.
