A strong desire to serve the nation is what motivated 21-year-old Isikeli Vanisawa to join the National Fire Authority (NFA) as a firefighter.
He received top honours at the NFA passing-out parade on Wednesday (April 26, 2023) as the best all-rounder awardee among the 82 new firefighters.
Describing his 13 weeks of training as challenging, Mr Vanisawa said he leant a lot during the course and looked forward to applying it in real life.
The young man from Viseisei, Vuda, said the beginning of the training was the hardest part.
“Waking up early was a challenge for me but I practiced that for 13 weeks, now it’s not an issue,” he said.
“I also missed my family during the training period, but it has been worth every moment as I have achieved what I wanted.”
Mr Vanisawa said he did not expect to receive an award at the passing-out parade because he was only focused at doing well during training.
“I am humbled to receive the award today, I dedicate it to my family and my fellow graduates as we have all helped each other through out this journey.
“All those travels to and from Lautoka has finally paid off, I am just humbled right now.”
He said the focus now shifts to the real job – serving the people of Fiji to the best of his abilities.
“I now await my assigned station and look forward to help the people of Fiji and making my dreams come true.”
