Solo Tubuitamana poses with his farming materials after receiving the assistance 
at his Wailevu village home in Wainibuka.

A father of three who once served three years in jail was overwhelmed with elation and emotion today when he received farming assistance under the Fiji Corrections Service’ Poverty Alleviation Fund.

The items including a fork, cane knife, weed killers, sprayer and vegetable seeds were delivered at his home village of Wailevu in Wainibuka, Tailevu.

Soloveni Tubuitamana, 31, applied for the assistance when he was nearing completion of his sentence.

Upon release, he managed to build a small corrugated iron house in his village for his young family with a little help from his mother.

“When I came out I started planting bananas and sold them at the Suva market,” he explained.

One crate would cost him around $15.

He is now also trying his hand at other varieties to help support his family.

Solo’s children seemed oblivious to what was happening as the FCS team approached him at Wailevu. His eldest is seven years old, followed by his three-year-old son and 4-month old baby.

He is also the proud owner of five cows and owes a lot to the ever-ending support of his wife Ekari.

“Times are really hard now and I am very grateful that this kind of assistance is available to ex-offenders like me who can come out, use it and become useful citizens to our families and the society as a whole,” the soft-spoken man said.

“I personally thank the Commissioner for approving the assistance which I know will help my family very much. Thank you for trusting and believing in me,” he said.

FCS Education Liaison officer Principal Corrections officer Savenaca Baleiwai encouraged and wished him well, adding that there is nothing impossible in life if we put our hearts to it. 

www.corrections.org.fj