Volatabu Group Founder, Kalesi Volatabu

Substance abuse is becoming more prevalent in rural areas as opposed to the urban and peri-urban centres.

Volatabu Group Founder, Kalesi Volatabu says they’ve been inundated with requests from Fijians in Maritime Islands and those in the rural areas on the need for Drug Awareness campaign in their communities.

The Group has been travelling around the country conducting awareness programs in the last 12 months.

Volatabu highlighted the need to establish a rehabilitation facility that will be better suited to our way of life.

“Not so much a western system because it wouldn’t be suited here and we need to contextualize it and what we need to do is take it back to basics. After being here and talking to some of the substance abusers, all they need is our support and someone to talk to”.

Drug-Free World Fiji in collaboration with Volatabu Group is working on its second phase of addressing substance abuse issues by setting up a rehabilitation centre.