ILAI Levaci Tikomaimaleya is more than just a caring person.
He carries with him love, respect and kindness, three qualities of life which had enabled him to overcome obstacles to earn himself a good career which he has been enjoying for the past five years.
Like any other person, you definitely have to start from scratch.
For the Lomawai, Nadroga native, he has worked in a kava shop, worked as a babysitter and even had to do the hardest job of his life which was to pile 1000 building blocks a day just because, he wanted to earn and support himself and his loved ones. His loving personality, however, has helped him rise from scratch to earn a career at the Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa.
And he has credited his aunt, Mereili Tave, for moulding him to be a strong-willed and successful person.
“When mum passed away in 1997, I stayed with my aunt,” Ilai shared.
“She taught me and a few other male cousins a lot on the qualities of life. “Her rule was you never ask for any money from her, whatever she puts on the table, you have to eat it.”
Ilai attended Nadi’s Swami Vivekananda College before he pursued further tourism and hospitality studies at the then Training and Productivity Authority of Fiji (TPAF).
He was able to do a few tourism related work before he had to spend some time at his village in Lomawai.
Upon his return, he earned his work as a food and beverage attendant. Intercontinental Fiji Golf Resort and Spa, Ilai admitted, has helped him a lot to gain work experience and to do his work with utmost faith and perseverance.
“To be a career productive person, you need to be treated properly, have a good pay and have all the benefits covered and this is exactly what Intercontinental Fiji has been offering me.”
And for the past five years, Ilai has been hosting local and international personnel covering the Fiji International at the Natadola Bay Championship Course.
If you walk into the media centre, you will find Ilai cracking a joke or two with the international media journalists.
He loves making friends as it is part of his work but he loves to make people laugh ease their stress after a hard day’s work.
“All the work that I did helped me to appreciate life.
“My personality is just like this, I love talking to people, I love to know people and I love to help irrespective of the circumstances. “I believe that at the end of the day, whatever I do have to have an impact on a person’s life.”
The 34-year-old added some Fijians were too concerned on things that did not matter at all in life without even realising what was happening to their own lives.
He added Fijians were known for their love and respect which was something taught from a very young age in their own homes which should go a long way.
