REHABILITATION centres are sought-after facilities by authorities and community leaders battling an addiction plague caused by the surge in Fiji’s drug trade.
With Government searching for new and improved facility centres and partnering with non-profit organisations to recruit more help in this ongoing fight, a church aptly named the Promised Land successfully graduated and rehabilitated two of their first students at their Adults and Teen Challenge (Fiji) Lololo Campus.
Kris Avikash Prasad and Inoke Uganidavui received their certificates of completion yesterday at the Promised Land Church, marking a new beginning for the two men.
A life saving decision
For 26-year-old Inoke Uganidavui, the road to recovery was long and treacherous, but one that was worth it in the end.
“If you hear my story, you will understand why this moment is a new beginning for me,” he said.
“I was the eldest of two children. When I was four years old, my parents separated and life as I knew it, began to shift.
“Though I had family who loved me, I followed the wrong crowd. I dropped out of school at Year 9, and the streets became my home and school.
“I was exposed to drugs, alcohol, crime and the kind of influence that destroys the soul.
“I almost lost my life through accidents, violence and overdoses.
“But by the Grace of God I am still alive.”
He said he was grateful that he came across the Adults and Teen Challenge program last year after he realised, he could no longer live a life depending on drugs.
The Matacaucau, Tailevu, native said he reached out to program director the Reverend Epi Ligairi who helped with his rehabilitation.
“That decision saved my life.”
The turning point
“I had a good job and no responsibilities so that meant having more money but with nothing much to spend it on, so I ended up partying a lot,” said Kris Prasad.
“That led to drugs, and I started using Ice (meth) again.
“And then the next thing I know was I started to deal it too, just because I was smoking so much of it because it meant I had it on me all the time.
“My concentration started to shift towards the drugs than the work that I did for a living and obviously I gave that up because I was getting more money from dealing drugs.”
Mr Prasad said between 2018 and 2024 he lived a life of both an addict and a dealer.
“I lived my whole life in the US before I came to Fiji and I would have a lot of my family members sending me clothes, shoes and all these things that were gifts for me.
“But the moment I realised I had a problem was when at a time when I was supposed to have so many things around me because of the money I got, and the gifts my family would send me, I had nothing.
“Because whenever I would get these things, I would immediately sell them. That is the thing about drugs, you will forget about all of the things that is going on in your life.
“You forget all of the blessings that God has given you and you start taking it for granted. Just to get that next high.”
Now clean and a devoted Christian, Mr Prasad said the Adult and Teen Challenge program has been a life changer.
“Some people I used to hang out with last year are now mentally ill because of they didn’t stop using.
“That shows how fast drugs are ruining people.”
Adult and Teen Challenge (Fiji) Lololo campus
Program director the Reverend Epi Ligairi says they were hopeful they would make an impact in the fight against drugs.
“There is a hope that our nation will bounce back,” said Mr Ligairi.
“I for one feel that we can put aside the blame game and just focus on this hope to help our people recover and get their lives back.
“This is something that has never happened before in Fiji and we are very grateful to God for equipping us to be able to provide a service for addicts.”
Mr Ligairi said with new students they would commit to completing the over 12 month rehabilitation program.
“For any new student, we want them to get started right away.
“For example, meth addicts they need to detox for two to three weeks and just sleep, drinking a lot of water, eating and recover.
“So when we start a rehabilitation program, they are custom made focusing on each addict’s specific addiction.”
Mr Ligairi added at the core of the program was their faith and Christ centred approach.
“We have the inside out approach where we start with their spirit and their soul.
“So, it is spirit first because if it has been damaged one way or another, but by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ we show them that they can get better.
“Then the mental and physical health will automatically fall into place.”
A strategy for the future
Permanent secretary for Policing Beranado Daveta said under the National Counter Narcotics Strategy, organisations such as Adult and Teen Challenge (Fiji) were needed to implement policies under the legislation.
“We are investing in community driven responses, drug prevention, mental health services and reintegration pathways,” said Mr Daveta.
“Let me be clear, rehabilitation is not a luxury. It is a moral obligation. Enforcement without mercy creates fear. But justice with compassion that creates hope.”
