Making A Difference: The Story of Albert Serau

Story by Sakeo Moce

A highway separates 19 year old Albert (Pate) Serau’s sprawling settlement of Lepanoni and the beautiful Deuba Beach. Vehicles often whizz by at breakneck speed and as Pate observes the world he admits that while there may be challenges with unemployment and other issues that youths go through, we must have a positive attitude that we can do all things through God who strengthens us.

Pate is pictured right in the blue Superman vest

Pate is a talented youth who loves to sing and play musical instruments. He plays the guitar, piano and the drums but above all, he loves to play the trombone. His undeniable talent in music was groomed at the National Youth Band Training Centre based in Valelevu, training him to become a highly accomplished musician. When Pate strums his guitar and sings, it is like hearing Shawn Mendez. While Mendez may impress with ‘Mercy’ Pate impresses with heart felt songs like “Apple of my eye.’

Pate’s dad hails from Lomati, Kabara in Lau although he was raised in Lepanoni.  The beauty of this settlement is that it is home to a mixture of people, from the different provinces of Fiji. Life has not always been easy for Pate growing up in this neighbourhood which is often considered unsafe by people and business sectors in the Pacific Harbour and Deuba area.

As the son of a police officer and Settlement Headman, Pate was determined to help his dad bring changes to the neighbourhood and made it his aim to advocate on integrity among his youth group.

In the midst of the interview, Pate mentioned, “we as youth need to engage ourselves with what we love to do and sometimes we will face struggles but with sacrifice we will surely get things done”. The members of the Youth for Integrity who attended the Training of Trainers at the Coral Coast Christian Camp on October 8 to10 / 2017 were privileged to have witnessed his talent first hand.

Pate never hesitates to reiterate that blessing and success always comes if we trust in God. He believes that with God, nothing is impossible and this is what kept him pushing on, amidst the peer pressure, he encounters.  He is also an active member in the Lepanoni AOG youth group and this is where he often displays his talents in music. His mission is to advocate Integrity among the other talented youths in Lepanoni and to mobilise the youths in the Lepanoni AOG youth group to actually make an effort to change the peoples mindset about Lepanoni and its youths.