Koroitamana (Koroi) didn’t say much when he arrived. But everything about how he showed up made it clear who he was doing this for. To finish the family home. To support his kids' education. To build something solid for the future.

Back in Fiji, Koroi was a network engineer, pastor and mentor. As a husband, father and son, he saw the PALM scheme as a way to build on the foundation laid by generations before him.

As a child, he visited Brisbane to watch his father graduate from Bond University with a master’s degree. That moment stuck with him. Now, decades later, Koroi has returned. Not as a guest in the crowd but as a leader in his own right.

“My kids don’t know it yet, but one day I want to bring them here,” Koroi said. “I want them to see where their grandfather graduated. I want them to walk in those footsteps too.”

From the moment he stepped onto the production floor with RWM through the PALM scheme at one of Queensland’s leading poultry processing facilities, his Site Manager and Zoya his employer’s business training and development manager saw something in him.
 

Turning up for people who need it most

Koroi grew up watching his parents give back. His mother spent more than 40 years in aviation, training flight attendants in safety and emergency response. His father paved the way through education and mentorship. That example stuck with him.
 
He trained staff, led youth groups and helped build his church community. He also plays guitar, bass, drums and keyboard.

“Even my kids are now singing in the worship team,” he said. “I’m proud of that.”

Supporting his family and the Australian community

Today, even while working full time and supporting his family from afar, Koroi still carves out his weekends to help others. On Saturdays, he and a small group of pastors prepare and deliver more than 100 hot meals to people sleeping rough across Brisbane. They cook in a donated kitchen, using donated food and head out in their own cars. Some weekends, it’s just three of them. But they never miss a Saturday.

On Sundays, he takes the ferry to Macleay Island to run a quiet church service for retired Australians. No stage. No mic. Just connection and care.

“This is what I’ve always done,” he said. “It’s how I was raised. You help where you can, whether it’s in a church, a kitchen or on site.”


A trusted leader, on and off the floor

That mindset was clear from the start. Within weeks, Koroi was promoted to Production Floor Trainer.

But he’s not just leading on the floor. He was also elected as a group leader for the Fijian workers on site. Someone his peers go to when they need help, advice or just a listening ear. Koroi didn’t chase that role either. It came naturally. He checks in with others, offers guidance and helps people stay steady when things get tough.

“Sometimes the team, just need someone to talk to,” Koroi said. “I remind them why we’re here. I just let them know they’re not alone.”

In a place where the work is fast and the days are long and full, that kind of leadership matters. He leads from the front, steady, calm and present.
 
What he’s building through the PALM scheme

Koroi is currently completing his Certificate II in Food Safety and Processing, alongside a formal Trainer of Trainers program through his employer.

“I thought I would just come here and be a process worker,” he said. “But I’ve been given the chance to do more. And I’m thankful for that.”
 
Service runs deep in his family. His mother, still in Fiji, often helps him work through training modules.

“Whenever I’m stuck with a training question, I call Mum,” he said. “She spent decades in the air, but she’s the one who keeps me grounded. If I get stuck on anything, I call her straight away.”

“We all came here for our families,” Koroi said. “Sometimes people forget that when it gets hard. I just remind them why we’re here.”
 

Still present. Still parenting. Still building

Koroi’s wife and four kids are still in Fiji. He checks in often, helps with schoolwork and keeps up with church and sport updates every week. Two of his daughters sing in the worship team. His eldest son plays rugby. His youngest is just starting to talk.

“I got my daughter’s school report the other week. She came second in her class,” he said. “Even from here, I’m still part of their lives. We’re doing this together.”

The house he’s been working toward is finished. It’s already been extended. His next goal is to bring his family to Australia so they can holiday here and be together again.

“I would love for us to live here as a family,” he said. “That is what I’m working toward.”
 

Not just helpers. Leaders

Koroi didn’t come to Australia to be recognised. But through the way he works, leads and shows up for others, he’s become someone people naturally look to.

He’s a steady presence. A group leader, a mentor and a calm voice when things get tough. On the floor, he supports his peers. On the weekends, he gives back to the community. And every night, he calls home, still guiding his children, still part of their everyday.

This journey was never just about the job. It’s about the people he loves, the legacy he’s carrying and the future he’s building, both here and back home.

With the support of RWM, Koroi has been able to step into leadership, grow his skills and continue giving back, in every part of his life.

“Don’t just come for the job,” Koroi said. “Come with a reason. And when it gets hard, remember that reason. That’s what keeps you going.”