Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page.  She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.

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“This is the 50th year of living and working at Pangaimotu. And we’re still going. I’m part Tongan; I came here when I was 24. The dream was to develop an island in an idealistic tourist way. Not too commercial but just a nice place. Much of the dream has been taken away by a few cyclones but we just start again after each one. We started the business at 1972.

I remember cyclone Isaac back in 1982 which was a big one. There was another one called son of Isaac but it’s not recorded in history. The hurricane left and came back the next week and hit us again. That’s why the Lady Lata—the sunken ship—is at Pangaimotu now. Although here have been many cyclones, this is the first tsunami. The business has been affected so badly by the COVID lockdown then omicron came and made things worse.…more

By Taualofa Totu’a

Heres a list of Pasifika small businesses where you can get all the coolest accessories! Style up your summer or find statement pieces to add colour to your work fits. 

Sprinkle Pacific flava on to your "Outfits Of The Day" with these gems: 

HANDMADE TIE AND EARRINGS GIFT SET!

Who: FOU Custom Made

From Pacific Fusion Fashion Show Designer Profile:

Mt Roskill label Fou Custom Made  is a stylish fusion of old and new. Describing their style as out of the box but wearable, the trio behind FOU Custom Made – Asomaliu Tagi’ilima, Nora Harriman and Mary So’onaoso – say they want Pacific women to be confident in their designs.

“We want to empower women to be proud and embrace their bodies in all shapes and sizes,” says Asomaliu.  “No matter their shape, anyone can rock a sassy, gorgeous outfit.”

A scan through FOU’s Facebook and Instagram accounts shows the company has been busy custom making a wide range of clothing for all occasions.  It’s a small money earner for the FOU team who all have day jobs.…more

The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Carmel Sepuloni has announced that the Government is delivering a $121 million funding boost to support the arts and cultural sector through this latest phase of the pandemic.

The etra funding comes from the Governments Covid Response and Recovery Fund.

"Artists, musicians, creatives and performers across the motu have been both generous & instrumental in supporting & promoting the Govt’s COVID-19 response & vaccination efforts. I acknowledge & appreciate every effort this sector has made, because they’ve helped save lives.

Now it is the government's opportunity to respond quickly & throw our support behind the sector, which has served New Zealanders so well during the pandemic." - Minister Sepuloni

Designed to cushion the blow from Omicron after the Events Calendar was sabotaged, the funding will supports artists and arts practitioners (who are usually sole traders/self-employed individuals), arts organisations, the screen sector, as well as support for performances and events that were planned before the move to Red.  

An additional $70.7m in funding will to the Arts and Culture Event Support Scheme, originally set at $22.5m.…more

Another new Covid positive case today takes Samoa's Covid count up to 31 active cases in managed isolation. Controversy hit the country after it was revealed that last Saturday 29th January a breach in the Island's State of emergency led to a frontline worker in isolation being driven to an ATM machine in town.

The Prime Minister has assured the country that this breach has been taken seriously and there are currently no community cases of Covid on the Island.  

Here's the latest from the Samoan Government regarding Samoa's covid status: 

Following completion of the sixth testing schedule on 1st February, one new positive case was identified from the nursing staff that work in the Isolation Ward taking the total positive cases in managed isolation to 31.

All other 48 passengers continue to test negative and are in good health. The 25 positive tested passengers are all asymptomatic and are in good health

All frontline workers in quarantine continue to present negative test results, remain asymptomatic and in good health.…more

Via Radio New Zealand 

Cover image photos courtesy of Willie Vake 

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A man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Fau Vake, a rising MMA fighter who was punched in a late night attack in Auckland last year.

Liufau Vake, 25, known as Fau, died in hospital nine days after being hit late at night outside a bar on Symonds St. He was in critical care and underwent surgery to try relieve pressure on his brain.

Today in the Auckland High Court, Daniel Havili pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Fau Vake, and to assaulting Fau's brother Ika Vake, who survived. Havili's name suppression lapsed today and he can be named for the first time.

Another man, Siofilisi Paongo, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ika Vake.

Both men initially pleaded not guilty and were set to be tried in court later this year. They will now be sentenced on April 12 this year.

A total of four men were charged. Three have now pleaded guilty, and one denies his charges and will go to trial this year.…more

After the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai erruption on 14 January 2022 Tonga has been on the minds and in the hearts of many around the world.

The current covid travel restrictions and islands safety measures have meant that not a lot of people are able to go to Tonga to help with relief. This coupled with continued connectivity hiccups, has lead many people to express their love for the kingdom online.  

The bountiful love for Tonga is evident in the various fundraisers, resource drives and community mobilisations to get help back to the beloved islands. Along with tangible forms of ofa (love) there has been a outpour of written love online.

Through our social media pages we were able to collect anonymous Love Letters to Tonga. Since the devastating disaster we have received an enormous amount of love for Tonga in our inbox through peoples heartfelt messages.

Below are some of the messages we've received, accompanied by Images from Malau Media:

"I love you my dear homeland."

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"Tonga we are praying for you take care of yourself.…more

via Radio New Zealand 

Cover photo above - Digicel Tonga’s technical team working on satellite link equipment to restore internet connection Photo: Digicel Tonga

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Tonga is already rebuilding amid the devastation of a double whammy of natural disasters, according to the Red Cross.

Tonga Red Cross staff and volunteers have been assisting people from the moment the tsunami alert was triggered, and are ramping up the delivery of drinking water, temporary shelters and other critical relief supplies across the country.

Tonga Red Cross secretary general Sione Taumoefolau said its teams were using boat and trucks to take vital items to communities in need of the basic necessities.

Shelter was a top priority for families whose homes had been wiped out, he said.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian response into Tonga has been described as well a handled process, almost two weeks on from the eruption and tsunami.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been helping to meet immediate needs, with a response coordinaton based in Fiji.…more

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page.  She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.

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“Since 2014, I have not been able to walk properly. I can try, but most times I have to lean on someone else to walk. On Saturday, we were doing maintenance work in preparation for my son’s wedding for this last Thursday. When my older brother saw the sea rising higher than normal, he alerted me. He knew I’d take a while so he said I should get going. He packed a few things as I left. I barely made it to the main road when my brother and nephew caught up with me, grabbed each arm, and helped me move faster. By that time, a wave from the West had made its way to the main road.

Now, the volcano is on the North Western side of our island. ʻAtatā’s map is like a tennis racquet. The wider part is where our plantations are.…more

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page.  She is currently covering survivors stories from the Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai eruption and subsequent tsunami.

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“It happened so quickly and suddenly that we were completely unprepared. We were going about our Saturday chores when I heard one grandchild from the beach, ‘Nana! There’s a wave coming all the way to our wild hibiscus tree! It’s coming Nana! It’s here!’

At first you’re confused but you quickly snap out of it and yell, ‘Run! Come, let’s run!’   We gathered all the grandkids and ran to higher ground with my children. Some of their parents are overseas for fruitpicking while I care for them. My husband was still inside the house when we ran. He later came looking for us. Talaiasi Seni’s house was our first place of refuge as it’s on elevated ground. 

Many other mothers and children from the village joined us there.…more

via Radio New Zealand 

Three shipping containers are being set up at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium to be filled with donations for Tonga today.

The Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee is organising the relief effort and plans to collect and ship food and emergency supplies donated mainly by people with family of those living in Tonga.

People can donate food and emergency supplies at Mt Smart stadium from 9am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday.

Priority will be given to people with family in Tonga, with each family being allocated a 44-gallon drum to send.

Items being asked for are non-perishable foods like rice, canned meat, as well as water, small cooking utensils, batteries and torches.

Comittee Secretary, Pakilau Manase Lua said the Tongan government would prioritise distributing goods to the worst affected islands like Mango, Atata, Nomuka, Fonoifua.

He said the relief effort was giving many Tongan families in New Zealand a chance to turn worry into action while they wait to re-connect with loved ones.…more