Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Reverend Simione Tugi.
Fiji Council of Churches Board Member and Narcotics Bureau Committee member, Reverend Simione Tugi, has no regrets about publicly sharing his daughter’s battle with drug addiction despite the personal cost.
He admits his daughter was hurt when he spoke openly about her struggle.
He says he told her his voice was not just for her, but for every teenager trapped in addiction and every parent overwhelmed with pain and helplessness.
“My daughter, who is involved with drugs, is my biggest motivator to do this advocacy work. Most of the parents, like me, cannot stand up to talk about their stories. I will do this for you and for them.”
Reverend Tugi says he has been part of many public events, believing that his family’s story has helped spark important conversations.
He says, but behind his public advocacy is the private truth of a father who, despite his wisdom and leadership, still carries the burden of not being able to help his own child.
“I have seen a lot of people, but on my way home, I have my biggest problem: I cannot solve my own daughter’s problem, so that means I too need help. I solve a lot of problems, but I cannot solve my daughter’s problem.”
He says many parents, like him, watch their children sit beside them physically, yet feel they are no longer truly present, lost to the grip of addiction.
He says his greatest concern is how other families are coping in silence.
Reverend Tugi calls on parents to never give up and never label their child as an addict.
He says parents must see them as their child, still deserving of love, hope, and a second chance.
He says because seeing the child, not the addiction, opens the door to healing.
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