Mother of six, Hina Toantabuariki says the back-to-school season is not just about buying books and uniforms — it is a time filled with careful planning, financial stress, and deep hope for her children’s future.
Ms Toantabuariki knows first-hand how challenging it can be to prepare multiple children for school while managing limited resources.
“I’ve got six kids, five of them are students, while my eldest son, 18, made the difficult decision to leave school to help support the family,” she said.
“He approached his father to tell him then he wanted to work to support his younger brothers and sisters.
“He said — ‘I’m not going to school, I’m going to work to help you out.”
Ms Toantabuariki said her husband, who is from Kiribati, struggles to find stable employment due to citizenship challenges.
As a result, the family relies heavily on small wages from food-related work and government assistance.
“My son knows his father cannot find a good job because of his citizenship, and that is the reason he chose to help his father.”
With prices rising every year, Ms Toantabuariki says back-to-school shopping has become increasingly difficult.
She recalled how costs jumped significantly compared to previous years.
To manage, she mainly focuses on buying fewer but better-quality items.
“If I buy cheap things, they gonna break all the way. So I try to buy quality shoes, even if they’re expensive.”
With government school assistance, Ms Toantabuariki said she was able to buy at least new sandals and uniforms for her children, helping ease financial pressure and ensuring they start the school year properly prepared.
She highlighted that budgeting was the hardest part of preparation.
“Finance is the hardest part.”
“You want to buy everything, but you have to budget.”
Ms Toantabuariki said items like school bags and shoes are especially costly, but she believes it’s better to invest once than replace broken items throughout the year.
Speaking from experience, she said uniform shopping causes the most stress.
Long lines, crowded shops, and standing outside under the sun make it exhausting.
“Uniforms stress me the most,” she said.
“If you don’t go early morning, better you don’t go. The line will be long, and you’ll be under the sun.”
Ms Toantabuariki buys her children’s school uniforms from Hare Ram Traders in Nakasi, choosing the shop for reliable sizing and accessibility during the busy back-to-school period.
Ms Toantabuariki shared that she always takes her eldest child with her for school shopping because it is difficult to manage all six children at once and would also mean paying extra transport fare.
She said her eldest helped by starting with the youngest sibling’s booklist and working through each child’s requirements one by one.
When buying shoes, she uses a practical method by tracing each child’s foot on cardboard and taking the cut-outs to the shop.
“This allows me to check shoe sizes accurately without bringing all the children along, saving time, money, and stress during shopping.”
Despite ongoing hardship, Ms Toantabuariki said she remains firmly focused on her children’s education, believing it is the key to a better future.
She constantly encourages her children to stay in school, helping them understand the sacrifices being made and motivating them to keep striving despite financial and daily challenges.
“I always tell my children that the only way to move forward and have a better life is through education, that is why it is important to stay in school.”
Right: Josaia Tugaue and his two sons Joshua Tugaue and Elijah Tugaue, during their back to school shopping at Suva Bargain, Waimanu Rd. Picture: ANASEINI DIMATE
Left: Kelerayani Rokotono from Nabukaluka in Naitasiri, shops for stationery at the Suva Bargain in Waimanu Rd.
Picture: ANASEINI DIMATE
Back to school shopping at Suva Bargain in Waimanu Rd. Picture: ANASEINI DIMATE
