TELS Allows Grandmother To Chase Her Dream
Through the loans scheme, the 46-year-old mother of three and one grandson has become the breadwinner for her family.
Friday 22 March 2019 | 08:59
If it wasn’t for the Tertiary Education Loans Scheme (TELS), Seramasi Latianara would not be graduating with a Professional Diploma in Business Management.
Through the loans scheme, the 46-year-old mother of three and one grandson has become the breadwinner for her family. This is because of a work related injury suffered by her husband two years ago.
She was able to pursue business management studies and broke the tradition in her family of no female going for higher tertiary education.
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“My aim now is to continue into Masters in Gender Equality (Post- graduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diplomas) and even PhD and to be a living testimony for progress of women and girls in Fiji and the region,” she said.
“If given the opportunity to address any given social issues affecting our country, I would like to start first by raising awareness in rural, maritime and remote communities especially in iTaukei settings.
“I would also like to pay tribute to women leaders and activists in Fiji and the region who have done a lot of work on gender equalities and gender based violence.
“The current generation can learn from where they left off in trying to reverse these inequalities also known as closing gender gaps.
“The paradigm shift of power and control will be a difficult process but at least women activists and defenders like me and others before me have tried to do something about it. Closing gender gaps is everybody’s business”.
Ms Latianara said her husband, who worked as a project manager for non-government organisations (NGOs) in community development projects around Fiji had been the driving force in supporting her dream.
“I’m also grateful to the FijiFirst Government for providing TELS support in order for myself to graduate today,” she said.
“It is all water under the bridge now. I will now go back to my workplace at the Sofitel Accor Fiji Airways Premier Lounge, Nadi Airport and implement knowledge that I have acquired during my learning.
Hopefully I can apply for any top managerial position within any Corporate Organisation or civil society organisation between Nadi and Lautoka.
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