Living Positive Fiji

01/06/2026

Growing up in Fiji, I was taught many things about family, respect, and community. But there were also things we didn’t talk about. Being gay was one of them. HIV was another.

For a long time, I carried both in silence, not because I was ashamed of who I am, but because I was afraid of how others might see me.

This Pride Month, I think of the young person in a village, a settlement, a dormitory, or a church pew, wondering if there is a place for them in this country. Wondering if they can be themselves and still be loved.

I want them to know there is.

As a gay Fijian man living with HIV, my life is not defined by stigma or diagnosis, but by the people who stood beside me, the lessons I’ve learned, and the hope I carry.

I also remember those we lost to AIDS, those who never had the chance to live openly or access the treatment we have today. We honour them by remembering them and continuing the fight against stigma.

Pride, for me, is not about being loud. It is about refusing to disappear.

It is about choosing, every day, to live honestly.

And remember, condoms, care, and consent are not optional. They’re part of pride too.

Happy Pride Month 🏳️‍🌈

27/04/2026

Standard care. Not a favour. Every person, every time.

23/04/2026

HIV does not measure intelligence, morality, or worth. It can affect anyone.

Not every HIV story is about s*x.
Some people are born with it. Some acquire it through medical circumstances. Life is complex, and so are people’s journeys.

So before you judge, pause.

The same words you use to shame someone today could be the same words that break you, or someone you love, tomorrow. Stigma doesn’t protect anyone. It silences, isolates, and pushes people away from testing, treatment, and support.

And words matter more than we think. They can either remind someone that their life still has value… or make them question if it does.

Let’s choose better. Let’s choose compassion over assumptions. Let’s choose facts over stigma.

Because HIV is a condition, not a character flaw.

12/02/2026

I met him in Lami. 21, maybe 22, maybe younger or older, definitely a youth.

He showed me his hands, scabies. Then a picture of what he’s carrying, ge***al warts. No shame. No fear. Just reality. A reality most of us pretend doesn’t exist.

He’s been used, hurt, forced to survive in ways no human should. I saw neglect. I saw what happens when our youth grows up with no one protecting them, no one caring, no one standing up.

And what are families doing to change this, where is the government while our youth suffers? And the organizations that do try, the funding, the projects, are they reaching him? Or could we do more? Could we be out here, seeing, helping, acting instead of waiting for permission or funding cycles?

No place to sleep. Eyes are full of sadness, but also fire. He wants to do more, be more, survive. But he’s infected, hurt, forgotten.

And we? We just… look away.

We could help him. But not alone. We need a community that isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. We need action, not excuses. Not paperwork. Not empty promises.

DOCTORS drowning under impossible burdens, The GOVERNMENT hiding behind empty speeches, NGO's rushing to secure funding and connections, are their initiatives even guided by careful, ethical research, or is checking boxes enough? This is real. This is happening. Right now. And if we’re not stepping up, who will? Enough talk. Do som**hing.

05/02/2026

This was published in "The Washington Post"

What’s happening in Fiji didn’t start when the outbreak was announced, it was already there, just hidden behind silence and stigma. HIV still gets treated like a secret, and that fear keeps people from testing, seeking treatment, or even believing their diagnosis.

Add m**h, drug trafficking routes through the Pacific, and misinformation, and you get a crisis that’s bigger than one virus. This isn’t just about health, it’s about systems failing people and shame doing real damage.

HIV today is manageable. Treatment works. PrEP works. What doesn’t work is silence.

We need more honesty, more education, and more compassion because talking about it is how people survive.

Link below.
https://share.google/HgJbZvqMtU48SigPQ

27/01/2026

On 12 January 2026, I began a short-term role as a Research Assistant at the Human Rights Commission Fiji (now known as the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission), working on a baseline study for children living with disabilities. In this journey so far, I’m seeing how limited resources, social barriers, and quiet neglect shape young lives, how some children fight simply to be included and heard. As someone living with HIV, I carry my own experience of navigating stigma, seeking care, and claiming dignity in spaces that don’t always understand difference. That journey shapes my activism and makes this new field of human rights work feel deeply personal and purposeful. What continues to move me most is the environment, a humble and kind Director, supportive colleagues, an amazing baseline team, and a workplace where discrimination has no space, only respect and shared purpose. This role may be short-term, but the impact on my heart and my commitment to justice is already lasting.

“HIV did not define my end, it defined my purpose.”

fans

06/01/2026

Happy New Year. What a powerful way to start it, by choosing to save lives.

Free syringe programs in Fiji? Yes. Period.

Most people are saying no. Not because it doesn’t work, but because stigma is easier than facing reality.

HIV is rising. Doing nothing is still a decision, and it’s failing us.

Free syringe programs do not encourage drug use. That excuse has been buried by evidence for years. What these programs actually do is reduce needle sharing, cut HIV and hepatitis infections, and bring people into healthcare. This is harm reduction, not approval.

You don’t stop HIV by pretending drug use doesn’t exist.
You stop it by reducing harm.

What’s reckless isn’t clean needles.
What’s reckless is waiting while infections climb and acting surprised when the numbers are released.

What a way to start the new year, more awareness, smarter policies, and less moral panic. Because public health isn’t about comfort, it’s about outcomes.

Silence is not neutral. It helps the epidemic.

So the choice is simple:
Do we want to feel morally superior, or do we want fewer people living with HIV?

Right now, Fiji is choosing feelings over lives.

Should Fiji introduce free syringe programs to help curb rising HIV infections?

A new WHO–UNDP report says yes — and Fiji Medical Association president Dr Alipate Vakamocea agrees, pointing to overseas programs that have successfully reduced HIV/AIDS rates.

"This is som**hing we need to do. We need to help people stop sharing syringes and reduce the spread of HIV," he told Pacific Beat.

Listen to full story here: https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/fiji-hiv-needles/106198894

01/12/2025

Yesterday’s vigil (WORLD AIDS DAY) felt different, in the best way. It wasn’t about speeches or titles. It was about people. Our people. Seeing everyone come together, from church members to young q***r kids to long-time advocates, reminded me why this work matters.

When the candles were lit, there was this quiet moment where you could feel everyone breathing the same air, carrying the same weight, sharing the same hope. Some came for loved ones they lost. Some came for the ones still fighting. Some came because they didn’t want to feel alone. And honestly, that’s the whole point: no one should have to face HIV alone.

What moved me most was how naturally everyone held space for each other. A hand on a shoulder. A nod across the room. A small smile that said, “I see you.” That’s community. That’s what keeps people going when life gets loud, messy, or heavy.

This vigil reminded me that HIV activism isn’t just about awareness days, it’s about showing up for each other, even in small ways. It’s about creating moments where people feel safe, loved, and valued. Yesterday, we did that together. And I’m proud of us for it.

01/12/2025