From a small town in Ba, to the towering buildings of Fiji’s capital, Zoyal Ali proves that where you come from doesn’t define who you are.
He grew up in the soccer crazy town with two sisters — in a quiet village known as Maranitawa.
“I have two sisters. One is working at the Oceania Hospitals Pte Ltd’s petrology department and the other one is in university pursuing a bachelor of networking services,” the 30-year-old said.
He said his father earned money from carpentry and cane cutting.
“I spent a lot of time with him, and his dedication to his work really inspired me. Eventually I too took up carpentry.”
He said he recalls watching his father fix a small bridge in their village.
“I realised I wanted to do something along that line, like engineering.”
Despite financial constraints, Ali’s determination remained unwavering.
“Sometimes, when things were tough, I would help my dad with his work. We couldn’t afford to pay for hired hand, that’s when I stepped in.”
Ali credits his mother for instilling in him the importance of education.
“My mum briefly worked as a language teacher. She taught Arabic at my former primary school,” he said.
“She always emphasised the importance of education and encouraged us to aim high. I always wanted to become an engineer because I knew I could excel at it, like my dad. If he can fix bridges for our village, I can build bridges for our country.”
He said his father began his biggest motivation, a man that inspired him and showed him that hard work was the secret to success.
Ali attended Kamil Muslim College and made a lot of friends.
“My best friend and I were always at the top of our class. It was that friendly competition that made the school experience a memorable one.
“When I was in high school, I was always in the top three positions. What was more fun was competing with my best friend who always came first.
“Looking back through the struggles and tough times I realised there was more out there in the world and if I put my mind to it. My dream of becoming an engineer was still there but my dad told me to look at what Fiji needed — and to look at the realistic side of things. So I had to opt for something in the economics field.”
This dilemma pushed Ali to really think about what he wanted to do in the future and the pressure of the decision weighed on him heavily.
“I met Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum two or three times in school. His influence played a role in my decision to study economics.”
So, he applied for accounting economics at the university level, ready to start his journey to becoming an economist.
He said his path took an unexpected turn during his first week at the university.
“I was that close to studying economics but I changed to computing science and information systems.
“While taking a really closer look into the state of the world at that time, everything was shifting to the virtual environment.
“This pivotal moment prompted me to pursue something along that line.”
His journey took another turn when he explored opportunities in the workforce.
“I considered working at Vodafone, but then I stumbled upon the role of an auditor. I didn’t even know what auditing was, but I decided to challenge myself.
“A professor encouraged me to participate in the Malaysian Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP),” he said.
“The international exposure and mentorship I received during the program was like nothing else.”
“I learned more about IT auditing there than I did in Fiji. Interacting with professionals from different countries broadened my perspective.”
Returning to Fiji, Ali applied his newfound knowledge in his role at the Office of the Auditor General.
“COVID-19 posed challenges, but I persevered. It’s all about how you look at things. When there’s a will there’s a way.”
He later joined the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) as an IT auditor. He moved on to PricewaterhouseCoopers.
“Moving from one role to another was a risk, but I embraced it.
“Life is ever-changing, and we must be adaptable.”
Ali reflects on his journey and emphasises the importance of versatility and embracing uncertainty.
“You need to be able to change your mind-set and not restrict yourself.
“The future is unpredictable, but there is always room to grow.”
“A lot of people really plan for the future, they look ahead and hope for the best and hope things will go that way,” he says.
“But the future itself is always changing and never certain.”
With his future filled with possibilities, he remains optimistic, leaving his fate in the hands of providence.
“There are a lot of positive things happening in my life, both personally and professionally. I’m hopeful for the best, trusting that my journey will continue to unfold.”
- This story is a re-run from Wednesday’s edition due to a technical error that took out parts of the story. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.
