KESAIA Vika Dumukoro holds dearly the famous words of Confucius, that it does not matter how slow you go, as long as you do not stop.
These words have helped the 29-year-old Keasaia endure years of hard labour in a male-dominated sphere.
From her innocent childhood days to toiling in the hot sun, Kesaia has rightfully become the Ministry of Land’s first ever female land surveyor.
Her journey began in the Sigatoka Valley where she was nurtured by her parents.
“My parents, they would open the doors to anyone, even in the middle of the night,” she said.
“So, that drive, the work ethic, love and the care, I took them upon myself.”
After graduating from high school, Kesaia enrolled at the Fiji National University.
Unsure of which career to pursue, she found herself studying land surveying.
“I told myself during those two years of schooling, my main purpose is to finish,” she said.
“Never mind the distractions, never mind if I failed a unit, I would just have to pick myself up, finish my studies, graduate, make my family proud and work towards my service registration.”
After completing 36 units at FNU, looking for a place to practise her trade was a challenge.
Kesaia worked in a Korean restaurant, earning just above the minimum wage while waiting for a greater opportunity to land in her lap.
She tried looking everywhere but there were no attachment jobs available.
“Then I received a call from my dad who relayed the exciting news.
“At the back of the restaurant, I was screaming with my dad on the phone. Finishing school and then coming to work in this restaurant, it really humbled me.”
“It was hard waking up at 6 o’clock in the morning because I was staying at home. But it finally paid off when I started working at the ministry.
“Before my six months ended, I was deployed to camp in Rakiraki. I was so excited, because typically men go for these kinds of excursions.
“My FNU lecturer would tell us to push ourselves outside of the office and get our hands dirty. And then I said, ‘you don’t know how much this means to me as a female in this field’.
“So, I’ve been out there in the field with them. It really boosted my work ethic.”
Kesaia feels grateful for receiving an advice from one of her lecturers who said that ‘being in this field means equal opportunities, which means equal amount of work’.
“The hard labour by men, the women also have to perform.
“And so, I took that opportunity and turned it into gold. So since then, I’ve worked hard.
“I’ve had some really hard times, but I never regrated it.”
Now, the lands ministry’s first ever registered female land surveyor intends to hone her skills before looking outwards.
“From my experience, the Government is for me the best place to start off.
“However, I need to gain more experience and when the time is right, I will either jump to another government entity or the private sector.”
Kesaia’s advice to women looking to do field work is simple yet profound.
“Be strong. If you’re in a male-dominated field, be strong in your work ethics and work hard.”
First female land surveyor Kesaia Dumukuro (second from left) with fellow graduates, from lef, Epeli Tawake, Joine Draunibaka and Viliame Tamanikaitani, at Berkley Crescent in Suva, on Thurs 06 Feb 2025. Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU
