One Woman’s Mission for a Drug-Free Fiji
Kalesi Volatabu turns her story of struggle into a nationwide movement, educating Fiji’s youth and communities on the truth about drugs.
Fiji is known for its postcard-perfect beauty—white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and the warm smiles of its people. But behind the apparent paradise, the country faces a growing drug problem threatening its youth and communities.
One woman is fighting back. Kalesi Volatabu, founder of Drug-Free World Fiji, grew up in a home marked by violence and alcohol. “Home became a war,” she recalls. “If my father fell out of the taxi at night, we knew we had to run and hide.”
At 13, she was sent to Australia in search of a better life, but instead found herself living on the streets of Sydney. “Ice was my drug of choice. I was going through so much pain, and I needed something to mask and take away the pain I was going through,” she said. Her turning point came in a detention cell. “It was in that one month that I said to myself, ‘If I ever get the chance to come out, I will use my life to help others not go through what I went through.’”
Her wish was heard. After rebuilding her life and working in community service and law enforcement, Volatabu discovered the Truth About Drugs program from the Foundation for a Drug-Free World. “The DVD spoke volumes. It took me on a journey—it explained why people take drugs, how it works and what it does to the body and the mind.”
When she saw her homeland facing a drug crisis, she knew what she had to do. “Fiji and drugs do not go together,” she said. She launched Drug-Free World Fiji to educate and empower Fijians. With only a handful of volunteers, she began visiting schools, villages and communities across the islands, distributing The Truth About Drugs booklets and sharing her personal story of recovery and purpose.
Soon, the Fiji Police joined the effort. “It was the greatest partnership because the police were the ones who went out to the communities with The Truth About Drugs booklets. They saw the results, they saw the change and they saw the impact.”
Requests for seminars began pouring in from all over the country. In one school, a student approached her after a presentation and said, “I’ve decided I’m not going to be tempted by my peers anymore. I want to live long and pursue my dreams.”
Moments like that keep her going. “If I can help one young person not go through what I went through, my job is done.”
“If I can help one young person not go through what I went through, my job is done.”
Her work soon caught national attention. She was appointed to the Fiji National Drug Harm Reduction Task Force, composed of government ministries working together to tackle the country’s growing drug problem. “Being part of the task force was amazing because, for the first time, all ministries came together to talk about drugs,” she said.
She also helped develop Fiji’s first National Counter Narcotics Strategy, built on three pillars: reduction of demand, reduction of supply and reduction of drug-related harm.
Through television, radio and print, Volatabu continues to bring the Truth About Drugs to every corner of the islands. “Not everybody has the guts to go up and stand and do this,” said a government representative. “She’s been doing amazing work, creating awareness not only to members of the public, but other government agencies as well.”
“I never dreamed of moving a country,” Volatabu said. “But I was born in this country and I’ll give my life to help it.”
Watch how Kalesi Volatabu spearheads a drug-free movement across Fiji at Scientology.TV/KVolatabu.
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