From Dock Worker To Lawyer
From a stevedore boy (a person employed at a dock to load and unload ship containers) to a lawyer, years of journey has been a motivation for 36-year-old Dominiko Nigel Damien Baikau.
Saturday 06 May 2023 | 16:37
Maria with her husband, Dominiko Baikau following his admission to the Bar on May 4, 2023. Photo: Ronald Kumar
From a stevedore boy (a person employed at a dock to load and unload ship containers) to a lawyer, years of journey has been a motivation for 36-year-old Dominiko Nigel Damien Baikau.
The Daku Village in Tailevu native and father of three stood proud as he was admitted to the bar by the acting Chief Justice Salesi Temo on Thursday.
Mr Baikau, who also looks after his brother’s three children with the help of his extended family, wished that the children would be inspired by him one day and perfect his footsteps.
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“It is a relief to be here today as a lawyer finally after all the years of hard work,” Mr Baikau said.
“I thank everyone who supported me including my extended family from both sides. I also thank my former boss for supporting me and sponsoring me and lawyer Krisheel Chang for moving my petition. I also thank my church family for their prayers and support.
“I am finally here. I wouldn’t say it’s a dream, but it is a blessing,” he said.
Mr Baikau enrolled in the Bachelor of Laws programme at the University of the South Pacific in 2004 after completing his secondary school education at Marist Brothers High School.
He was studying law under the Ministry of Fijian Affairs’ sports scholarship.
“I was studying under the scholarship, but then I was not successful in it as I failed in my exams,” Mr Baikau said.
“For me to be successful in my career was for my nieces and nephews and the extended family for always being there for me,” he added.
Mr Baikau said he would have loved to see his parents in the audience watching him get admitted to the bar and fulfilling his dream of becoming a lawyer just as his colleagues, however this was not possible for him. His father passed away in 2009 and mother in 2012.
But two faces in the audience gave him the biggest smiles. As he looked around in the audience, he saw his better half; his wife Maria Baikau, and his sister who took on the role of mother and his pillar of strength, Lusia Taivunilagi.
“It is a blessing that the person who has supported me all the way and became my mother is my sister,” Mr Baikau said.
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Story By: ashna.kumar@fijisun.com.fj
