Bose Vavataga 
The Fiji National University’s first grand alumni fundraiser ball aims to provide scholarships for students from underprivileged backgrounds.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba says a national university cannot serve only those who can pay and the event is about levelling the playing field so every child has the chance to enter its doors.
The fundraiser drew President Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu and Lady Lalabalavu, Chief guest Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, members of the FNU Council, the FNU Foundation, and business partners.
Professor Baba noted that although FNU was formally established 15 years ago, its constituent colleges have collectively served Fiji and the Pacific for decades.
She says the support of alumni, partners, and chiefs is critical to ensuring the university continues to meet the needs of all Fijians.
Ratu Wiliame states financial hardship should not deny young people the chance to pursue higher education.
“The FNU Foundation is the bridge between generosity and opportunity. Every dollar entrusted to the Foundation carries with it a promise, a promise to nurture, to uplift, and to ignite the dreams of those who might otherwise be left behind.”
As patron of the FNU Foundation, Ratu Wiliame adds that the funds raised are not mere contributions but investments that open doors closed by poverty, break cycles of hardship, and transform generations.
He reiterates that the FNU Foundation is the bridge between generosity and opportunity, with every dollar entrusted carrying a promise to nurture, uplift, and ignite the dreams of those who might otherwise be left behind.
Every dollar , he adds given opens a door, every scholarship funded transforms a life, and every graduate supported strengthens Fiji.
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