Meresiana Vosaleci, an 18-year-old from Dreketi, Nalawa in Ra, is setting her sights on a career in corrections after graduating with a Certificate IV in Music from the Valelevu Youth Training Centre.
Speaking to fijivillage News, Vosaleci who was raised initially by her grandmother and later by her mother after her grandmother passed away, says growing up in a single-parent household was sometimes lonely.
She says there were moments when it hurt not having the support of a complete family.
Vosaleci says her mother encouraged her to attend the training centre, and although she did not know how to play any musical instruments, including the piano, when she first enrolled, she can now confidently play several instruments.
She adds that the training centre also taught her important lessons in socialising with other youth, respect, responsibility, and self-discipline, which she considers crucial as she plans her future.
The 18-year-old hopes to make her mother proud and give back to her community, saying that she aspires to become a prison officer.
