All the trials Clinton Terrence Rasekaseka Masitabua has experienced throughout the past 25 years helped shape him to be the young father he is today.
“I was born and raised in Lautoka. I attended Drasa Avenue Primary School while living with my grandparents.
My parents weren’t stable at the time and my grandmother, who I was very close to, decided to take me in,” he said.
Mr Masitabua said he owed a lot to his grandfather who also paid for his school fees while his two younger brothers lived with his parents.
“But when I was about 11 years old, my grandfather said he couldn’t pay for my education anymore.
It was disheartening, but my grandfather struggled to make ends meet especially when my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer.”
Mr Masitabua said his uncle Hartly Lee, who he regarded as his mentor, stepped up and took care of his school fees.
“I continued to live with my grandparents, but he took care of all my school needs and anything else I needed for extracurricular activities in school.
“He taught me the most basic things like table manners, how to use a fork and knife and to always say please and thank you. “He taught me discipline to carry me through life. He had no reason to.
I don’t know why he did. But he took me under his wing.
“When I was 14 years old, I moved to Suva to stay with my parents while I attended Queen Victoria School.
“My uncle and dad shared the responsibilities of meeting my education costs, but gradually dad took over completely.” Mr Masitabua said he joined the QVS athletics squad and also represented the school in rugby.
He said it was every young boy’s dream to become a rugby star, to represent the school and get an overseas contract. “I also had that dream, but I just wasn’t good enough.”
Mr Masitabua is grateful to have rubbed shoulders and played with students who went on to become stars in Super Rugby and the NRL.
“Rugby affects your school work. When you focus all your energy on rugby, you start to skip studies and when rugby doesn’t work out you realise how important it was to stay on top of your school work.
If you focus on rugby, you need to understand that only a minority of you will make it big. So focusing and devoting enough time to both the sport and school is important so when sports does not pan out, you have your education to fall back on.
“That’s why I left QVS and moved to Assembles of God High School to repeat Form 6. I focused too much on rugby and it backfired.
When I passed, I moved onto FNU and I’ve never really touched a rugby ball since.
I played a few club games, but I never took it seriously ever again.
I believe that if there was a time to pursue rugby it was back in high school, in my prime, at the peak of my fitness. “I started focusing on my education and started with my Trade Diploma in Banking.
It was a childhood dream of mine to work in a bank. As a little boy I would accompany my grandfather to the bank.”
Mr Masitabua said in 2015, he had his daughter, Norma. He decided to work and study at the same time.
“I juggled work and university. I took my time so I could manage both which took me six years at FNU.
My first job was as a merchandiser at Cost U Less at a rate of $3.25 an hour and then a packer boy at Shop N Save earning $2.89 an hour.
It was hard balancing school and work. I was doing two units in a semester.
He said in 2017, he returned to Suva to continue studying at FNU in Nasinu and secured employment at Bred Bank where he is today.
Mr Masitabua said there were times he failed units, but he could not afford to give up. “You have another life dependent on you. So I did what I had to for my little girl.
“At times I became the punchline to jokes with relatives and friends.
People would see me still in FNU six years on while people in my year had already graduated.
They’d jokingly say ‘Clinton you must have read all the books in the library by now’.
“There were others that thought I was a failure, but I was doing my best to give my daughter a better life.”
Mr Masitabua has proudly completed his studies at FNU and works in the retail section at Bred Bank and a loyal worker for the past three years.
“My goal is to join the business side of things in the banking profession. It does require a lot more experience so I’m doing that.
“I’m working full-time and my mum helps with babysitting my daughter.
She’s turns six soon and has started Year One.
“I work a decent job and I’m putting my daughter through school and my only hope is that she learns from her dad’s experiences and does better for herself.
“I believe other young dads need to put the same commitment into raising their children.
A child helps you keep your priorities straight.
“One advice that’s gotten me through life, a lesson my uncle gave me that I try to live by is never waste anyone’s time.
“I apply this to my work, to relationships, to how I deal with people daily.
You save others disappointment and heartache by being honest about your intentions because once you waste someone’s time, that’s time they’ll never get back.
“It took me a while longer than most people my age, but I’m proud that I did it on my own.
I fell I got back up each time and the people that believed in me I always look out for to this day. Reset, restart, refocus.
As many times as you need to.”
