“I also wanted to be like the other students wearing sandals, but I didn’t want to burden my mother. I wear this to school every day, so I told myself, why not wear it today,” Vinen said.
(Left)Vinen Shankar Narayan during the parade. (Right) With his mother, Anjani Lata, after receiving his award on December 12,
2023. Photo: DEPTFO
Vinen Shankar Narayannever imagined he would lead more than 300 cadets in the inaugural passing-out parade of Lomaivuna High School in Naitasiri yesterday.
Vinen, 18, stood tall and proudly accepted the Parade Commander and Baton of Honour awards.
All he could think about was how much he wished his late father was there to see him lead.
Vinen described how painful it was to lose his beloved father amonth ago, just before he sat for his Year 13 Physics examination.
But despite all this, his proud mother cheered him on as he walked alongside the Assistant Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tukuna, who was chief guest at the event.
“My father passed away during my examination. I wish he was here. One of my teachers had informed him that I was receiving this award. My father was excited to be here today, but, unfortunately, it is now just a wish,”
Vinen said. “My dad was a hardworking man, and I saw how hard he worked from sunrise to dawn. Today, I wish he was here to see me receive my awards because it would mean a lot to him.”
Vinen, the son of a dairy farmer, could not afford to buy a pair of sandals, so he wore his special black canvas and white socks—a present from his uncle—during the march while the other cadets wore their sandals.
“I also wanted to be like the other students wearing sandals, but I didn’t want to burden my mother. I wear this to school every day, so I told myself, why not wear it today,” Vinen said.
“I wanted a pair of sandals, and I realised that we just had my father’s funeral, and the expenses were too much, so I didn’t want to burden my mother more.”
As the second eldest of five siblings, Vinem aspires to become a doctor.
“In the absence of my father, my brother and I milk the cows in the morning before we go to school. I have done farming, and I see how hard it is, so I have decided to work hard because it is the only way to be successful,” he shared.
He is hopeful to qualify for a scholarship next year and commended his mother for holding the fort for the family since the passing of his father.
Assistant Minister to the Office of the
Prime Minister, Sakiusa Tubuna congratulates Parade Commander Vinem Narayan with the Baton of Honour award on Tuesday December 12, 2023. Photo: DEPTFO News
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