Each daybreak in Wainivo settlement in Wainibuka, Tailevu, long before the first buses and carriers hum along the Kings Road, 43-year-old Timoci Lobanavau is already awake.
By 5am he is preparing breakfast, tidying the family home and heading out to tend his crops. It is a rhythm he has followed for years which speaks not only to his discipline, but to a deep sense of purpose which comes purely from the heart.
Timoci, who was born deaf and mute, has become a familiar figure to travellers through Wailotua in Wainibuka. His roadside stall of fresh fruits and produce is a welcome stop for many, but behind the quiet smiles and gestures lies an untold story.
His mother, Lice Mila Rasotale, watched her son navigate a world that has not always understood him.
He spent a year at Hilton Special School, where she says he faced many challenges that could easily have overwhelmed him.
Instead, they shaped his determination to live independently and contribute meaningfully to village life.
Today, Timoci’s days are full. After the morning chores, he heads to the farm, where he cultivates the fruits he later sells. He helps feed the family pigs, returns home to assist his mother, and remains an active participant in village functions and communal obligations which are tasks every villager is expected to fulfil, and which he embraces proudly.
But life in the village has not always been kind. Lice openly acknowledges the stigma her son faces because of his disability, especially while they live with relatives.
It is a situation that weighs on her, and it strengthens her resolve to help him secure a home of his own. The land is already there in the village. What Timoci now seeks is the assistance to build a house, a space where he can live with dignity and peace.
“All I want is for him to have a home,” Lice shared.
“Living with relatives is not always easy for him. But he still works hard every day and does everything he can despite his condition.”
Her pride is evident. She speaks highly of a son who shoulders chores without complaint, who earns income through his own labour, and who honours his responsibilities to family and community.
In her eyes, society must reach a point where support for people with disabilities is taken seriously, not as an act of charity but as a matter of respect and humanity.
“When they feel loved, they gain the confidence to push beyond their limits,” she said.
“That is what has happened with Timoci.”
His daily commitment to caring for his mother and contributing to village life reflects not just personal strength, but a profound adherence to a timeless Biblical commandment: honour thy father and mother.
For the many who pass him by the roadside, Timoci may appear as just another hardworking vendor. But his story is far greater than what meets the eye.
Mother and son, Timoci and Lice. Picture: RFMF
