Havana, June 2, 2026.- When you have the courage to dream big and pair it with hard work, life can take you further than you ever imagined. This is the premise that defines the rags-to-riches story of Dr. Samuela Tanoa, a 33-year-old soldier in the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF), who has transformed his reality to become a first-year resident in the specialty of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology at the “Frank País” International Orthopedic Scientific Complex in Havana, Cuba.
Dr. Tanoa’s path to medicine was marked by humility and an unyielding determination in the face of setbacks. After failing to secure an initial spot in medical school in Fiji and working as a university tutor following his graduation in Biological and Chemical Sciences, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the RFMF. Upon failing the initial officer selection process, he took on basic duties in the military kitchen with discipline.
With the support of the Cuban government and Fiji’s Tertiary Scholarships and Loans Service (TSLS), Tanoa traveled to Havana to pursue the seven-year medical program, graduating last year from the “Enrique Cabrera” Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Medical Sciences in Havana.
“The journey wasn’t easy; it involved adapting to a completely new culture, learning a different language, and spending years away from home,” explains Dr. Tanoa. “However, through perseverance, faith, and sacrifice, I managed to fulfill my childhood dream. I will always be deeply grateful to Cuba, its teachers, its people, my family, and the RFMF.”
The Cuban Ambassador to Fiji, Néstor Enrique Torres Olivera, praised the medical scholarship program, calling it a “brilliant example of cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to human well-being.”
The diplomat highlighted the regional impact of this partnership, which has enabled more than 240 young people from the Pacific islands to graduate as healthcare professionals. “Studying medicine in Cuba is much more than an academic pursuit: it is a transformative life journey that produces doctors guided by a profound humanistic spirit and a desire to serve their people,” concluded Ambassador Torres Olivera.
Dr. Tanoa’s story not only embodies the success of bilateral ties between Cuba and Fiji but also highlights the value of perseverance and nurturing talent in the service of public health.
Cuba’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Fiji, Nestor Enrique Torres Olivera, said the medical scholarship programme represented “a shining example of genuine South-South cooperation based on solidarity, mutual respect and a shared commitment to human well-being.” He noted the impact of the initiative across the region, saying it has “successfully graduated more than 240 young Pacific Islanders as medical doctors,” with returning graduates helping to significantly strengthen national health systems, including in Fiji. Encouraging aspiring students, he said studying medicine in Cuba is “far more than an academic pursuit—it is a transformative life journey,” adding that while the path is demanding, it produces doctors “guided by a deep spirit of humanism and a desire to serve their people.”
You can read the full article in English published in the media outlet
(Embacuba Fiyi)