Eight-year wait opens door for Raseisei

For eight years, Ratu Isireli Raseisei waited for an opportunity to leave his small island home and work overseas.

While he waited, he continued working at Galoa Primary School on Galoa Island, Bua, holding on to a dream of earning enough money overseas to return home and help his family.

This year, that opportunity finally came.

The 35-year-old bachelor was selected to work in New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme, eight years after submitting his application with the National Employment Productivity Centre.

For five months, he worked in Northland, packing and pruning kiwifruit.

Mr Raseisei, the second eldest of five siblings, returned to Fiji on August 28.

For him, the journey was more than an opportunity to earn money. It was the fulfilment of a dream he had carried while living far from Fiji’s major towns and cities.

“Coming from an island far from the town and cities, I always had this dream to travel overseas to work, collect money and return home to support my family,” Mr Raseisei said.

“While waiting patiently, I worked as the administrative officer at the only school on the island, Galoa Primary School, and kept praying to Jesus to open the door of opportunity for me.”

When that door finally opened, it also brought new experiences and challenges.

After arriving in Northland, Mr Raseisei found himself adjusting to New Zealand’s winter weather while settling into his new workplace.

“The working condition was nice, the company I worked for looked after us really well and I felt happy working despite struggling to adjust to the new weather condition,” he said.

He was not alone.

“There were also some Fijians from different parts of Fiji who stayed with me in the house and they became family as we had to share household chores together.”

After five months away, Mr Raseisei returned home with something tangible to show for the years he had spent waiting.

He was able to repair an old family boat that had not been working for seven years and give it to his sister.

Now, his attention has turned to another family legacy.

“My plan is now to revive my father’s business, which is to buy and sell premix on the island,” he said after completing three days of business training in Labasa on Thursday.

His experience has also given him a message for other people living in remote communities who may feel that distance limits their opportunities.

“I want to encourage villagers, do not limit yourself because of the geographical location of your house; always dream big and wait patiently in God, who will provide opportunities for you when the time is right.”

After eight years of waiting, Mr Raseisei is back where his journey began — on an island far from the country’s major urban centres — but with plans to use what he earned overseas to build something at home.