I was born in Fiji and I know firsthand what it is like having an extremely poor background. My only "luck" was having an opportunity to go to school, and I loved it so much. Even when I was sick, I never missed a day. I often compared with my friends who lived near the school to see who could be the first to arrive. It so happened that I lived the furthest, but I always won.
I'll never forget the days when I waited by the school gate for my mother to bring me the $5 school administration fee I needed for each school term. I watched the road for the bus and with each bus that went by without my mother getting off, my heart would sink because I didn't want to be sent home.
Since then, I've never stopped believing how far $5 can go in a poor girl's life. My parents couldn't afford to send all my siblings (兄弟姐妹) to school. I was the youngest, so that $5 fee needed to stay in school came last to me. That $5 represented my dreams, my happiness and my future. We could never afford milk, but my mother always managed to feed us a diet that was basic and filling while saving every penny she could.
Having that $5 each term to stay in school changed my life. I've worked in Australia, Europe and Africa, and now I live in New York. Education has enabled me to travel around the world. But above all, education has allowed me not to be just a bystander or an observer; it has given me the opportunity, confidence and platform to be part of decision-making and a voice for social change.
