RATU Nemani Memorial School in Momi village was filled with joy and celebration yesterday after receiving a generous donation of rugby and netball uniforms from the Fiji Life Foundation Support Grassroot Rugby.
The uniforms 78 pairs in total were donated to students from the Under-9 to Under-14 grades, thanks to the initiative of local representative Kaiyava Salusalu.
Salusalu, whose two children attend the school, said the idea came to him after hearing the village spokesperson ask each family to contribute $15 to help purchase new sports uniforms.
“I’m married to a woman from Momi, and one day I heard the village spokesperson calling on all families to donate towards new sports uniforms,” he said.
“I told myself, if our group can sponsor other schools, why not support this one where my own children are schooling?”
Salusalu contacted the foundation’s board members, who quickly approved the sponsorship for both rugby and netball uniforms.
The heartfelt gesture was welcomed with excitement by the entire school community and the villagers of Momi, who gathered to celebrate the occasion with a feast. The uniforms were officially presented to the school by Salusalu’s children, John Toe and Julie Salusalu.
School headteacher Joave Qarau acknowledged the foundation’s timely support and the impact it would have on students’ development.
“We’re truly grateful to the organisation for helping our school’s sports development,” Qarau said.
“Not every child will become a doctor or engineer, but through sports, many of our students can discover their talents and follow a different path.”
Despite being a small school with a roll of 76 students, Ratu Nemani Memorial has consistently balanced academic excellence with sporting achievements. The school recorded a 100 percent pass rate in last year’s Fiji Eighth Year Examination.
In netball, the school is a powerhouse—having been crowned junior and senior champions in their North/West cluster under the Nadroga/Navosa Education District for four consecutive years. The district includes nine school clusters.
Eight students from the school were selected to represent Nadroga/Navosa in the 2025 Fiji Primary School Netball IDC. Year 7 student Lia Sivo stood out, winning the Player of the Tournament award.
