The University of the South Pacific (USP) is paying heartfelt tribute to former USP Tonga Campus Director, Sālote Fukofuka, who passed away in New Zealand in February.
In a statement, the University honoured Mrs Fukofuka’s 29 years of dedicated service from 1980 to 2009, describing her tenure as one marked by “quiet determination, deep commitment and an unwavering focus on making the best possible use of the resources available to her.”
Over nearly three decades, Mrs Fukofuka served in a wide range of roles — from tutorial assistant and associate lecturer to lecturer and pre-school course coordinator — before ultimately leading the Tonga Campus as Director. In every position, she demonstrated steady leadership and an enduring commitment to expanding educational opportunities for her people.
Among her most significant achievements was the establishment of USP sub-centres in Ha’apai and Vava’u, initiatives that greatly widened access to higher education for students in the outer islands. These centres opened doors for countless young Tongans, bringing learning closer to home and easing the burdens faced by families.
The University noted that her love for Tonga — especially her beloved island home of Ha’apai — shone through in the creative and practical ways she supported students. She worked tirelessly to minimise financial pressures on families while building meaningful pathways for academic success. In doing so, she earned the deep respect of colleagues, staff, students and the wider community, embodying the core values cherished by Tongans.
Mrs Fukofuka’s lifelong dedication to education began with her own academic excellence. A distinguished student of Queen Sālote College, she earned a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in History and later a Master’s degree at the University of New England in Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
She began her teaching career in 1972 at Queen Sālote College, where she served for six years before joining the teaching department of the Free Wesleyan Church from 1976 to 1977. In January 1978, she joined the Teachers’ Department at Tonga’s Ministry of Education. A year later, she was appointed Deputy Principal of Tonga High School and contributed significantly to syllabus development within the Ministry.
She also served in a number of community roles and In 2014 was sworn in as one of Tonga's first Justices of the Peace. She was a Secretary General of the Queen Salote College Ex-Students Association, a founder of the Women in Agriculture Group and in later life became a Land Court Assessor.
Born in 1947 to Sione and Siosepa Folaumoetu’i of Ha’apai, Sālote was the youngest daughter in a family of nine children. She later married fellow teacher and parliamentarian, the late Uiliami Fukofuka, and together they raised six children: Lu’isa Tu'itokaloto Tsang-Yum, Siosepa Mafile’o Tato, Olivia Mateaki-he-lotu Fulivai, Elsie Pakiamala Fukofuka, Tevita Tai Fukofuka, and Denzel William Siufanga Fukofuka.
Her legacy lives on not only in her family, but also in the generations of students whose lives were transformed through her leadership and compassion.
A wake is being held in Tonga today, Monday 23 February 2026, as family, friends, colleagues and former students gather to honour a woman whose life was devoted to service, education and her beloved homeland.
