'A Failure in a Season is Not the End of the World’
Growing up, Serupepeli Naitau had to skip meals so that his mother could get the last of the food on the table.
Sunday 28 January 2024 | 19:59
Serupepeli (second from left) during his work days at Mana Island Resort and Spa, Fiji.
Growing up, Serupepeli Naitau had to skip meals so that his mother could get the last of the food on the table.
He knew at a very young age that life was not handed to him on a silver platter, especially after his father died just before his 10th birthday.
“I promised that I would turn life around and make things better than what it was,” he said.
Related stories
“I wanted to break out of poverty.”
An average student, Mr Naitau gave his all in school, but luck was not on his side.
“It was unfortunate that I failed Form 6 (now Year 12),” he said.
“My mother was sick and needed my help. We did not have money either.”
After weighing his options, Mr Naitau decided to return to his village of Yaro on Malolo Island in the Mamanuca Group.
Situated beside Mana Island Resort, his village was metres away from a career in hospitality.
Serupepeli (second from left) during his work days at Mana Island Resort and Spa, Fiji.
In 1995, the former Lelean Memorial School student traveled to Nadi twice a week to learn Japanese.
His dedication landed him an opportunity to study for a Diploma in the Japanese Language course the following year.
“My mother was so happy and it motivated me,” Mr Naitau said.
He was 22 years old then and was one of the only two students chosen for the programme that year.
“I never imagined myself in big planes, leaving Fiji for study opportunities,” he said.
“I got married and started to have children. I became a guest relation officer when I returned almost one year after studying.”
Promotions
He soon became a front office manager, a post he held for four years before senior duty manager and then assistant operation manager almost 10 years later.
These promotions enabled him to buy properties and provide the best for his children.
“I’m a failure, but I never allowed it to kill my dream of a better life,” Mr Naitau said.
“My wife is my biggest supporter.”
Every time he got promoted, he would take his time to reflect on the words of his mother, which was to ‘put God first’. Two years ago, he and his wife moved to the United States for greener pastures.
“We can now provide everything our children want,” he said.
Mr Naitau, who recently celebrated his 50th birthday, is proud of the journey because it bore his children into a much better situation.
“A failure in a season is not the end of the world,” he said.
Feedback: editorial@fijisun.com.fj
