Pushing through Winter: Kiribati scholar determined to succeed at Wintec.
The winter season in Kirikiriroa has been challenging for Kiribati student Tamaroa Bauro Tebuera, who is used to an average of 28 degrees at home. But he continues to push himself to excel.
The Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship student said he wants to make himself, his wife, and his family proud. Despite the cold winter mornings, he wakes up early, prepares his breakfast, and catches an early bus to Wintec’s Rotokauri Campus in West Hamilton.
“I like winter, but it is also a challenge for me. Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I always remind myself that I didn’t come here to fail. I came here to pass, to make my wife, my family, and my country proud.”
During class days, he wakes up at 5:30 am, cooks his school lunch, has breakfast, showers, and leaves the Wintec Apartment at 6:50 am to walk to the bus station. The commute to Rotokauri Campus takes 20 to 30 minutes, and he usually arrives around 7:30 am for his 8 am class.
Coming from a tropical country, the recent cold snaps and winter climate have been especially challenging for him. Temperatures ranged from 0°C to 15°C, a stark contrast to Kiribati’s warm weather.
Before receiving the Manaaki Scholarship, Teburea worked as an electrical maintenance engineer at Kiribati Coconut Development Limited (KCDL), one of the country’s leading coconut processing industries contributing significantly to the national economy.
Now, he is studying an Electrical Pre-Trade course at Wintec Rotokauri, working towards a qualification that will take him straight back into Kiribati’s coconut industry.
Teburea is newly married and comes from an extended family, whom he plans to support when he returns home after completing his studies in Hamilton.
“My family is a strong source of motivation because they continue to support me in my studies,” he said.
Tamaroa Bauro Tebuera will soon complete his programme and return to Kiribati, where he hopes to apply the electrical skills he has gained at Wintec to help improve machinery, maintenance, and production efficiency in his country’s coconut sector.
He said he is happy now because the winter season is nearly over, and the spring season is on its way.
