With 20 cents in his pocket, Doctor Alfred Tukaha Mua left his home in Malha'a, Rotuma to pursue his secondary school at Queen Victoria School with a promise in mind never to go hungry and live in poverty again.
This was shared by his daughter Makereta Mua during the launching of his book The Head of the Table at the Tanoa Hotel in Suva.
She says at thirteen years old, her father said goodbye to his family and the familiar surroundings of Malha'a, Rotuma and was leaving behind the place he called home, the people he loved, and the simple island life he had always known.
Mua says that when he began his journey to Fiji, her father had very little in his possession and there was no guarantee of what lay ahead—only 20 cents and a heart filled with hope.
Mua stressed that what mattered was the determination he carried within him.
The daughter says her father knew that his journey to Queen Victoria School was more than just a journey to continue his education; it was the beginning of a new chapter in his life, and he was determined to make something of himself and to build a future different from the hardships he had known.
Many doctors and nurses families, friends and people from the medical field attended the launching tonight.
