Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 15

* Cover image via Radio New Zealand 

Members of the Samoan community today are mourning the passing of Taito Phillip Field, our first Pacific member of parliament and a stalwart Samoan political through the 90's until 2008. 

Taito represented as an MP for Ōtara and then for Māngere in 1996.  He left the Labour Party in 2007 amidst inter party conflict and returned to Parliament as an independent. 

Taito's long political career was marred by controversy, following charges of bribery and perverting the course of justice over the infamous 'Thai Tiler' affair.…more

via Pasifika Medical Association Group 

"I don’t know where else we could’ve got this help, with the way we were provided with food and accommodation.  I don’t know where else we could have gone." - Citizen Halafihi and his family have been so appreciative of the help and support they've received from both Pasifika Futures and the Fono after he was unable to return home after quarantining in MIQ facilities.

When he came out, members of his family were having to self-isolate due to being at a location of interest.

The use of self-isolation for Delta containment has added additional stress for some Pacific families as their circumstances have sometimes made it difficult to comply with health authority directives.

Pasifika Futures (PFL) - the Whanau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families – are conscious of this and similar challenges so throughout this entire period have provided where appropriate and necessary - emergency accommodation for Pacific individuals and families affected by the Delta outbreak.…more

Samoan/Maori dancer Justyce Petelo takes you through an "easy, cute" dance routine you can learn at home!

'The Royal Family' dancer breaks down all the steps for you right here and then you can dance it through with him at the end.

Upload your videos doing the routine and tag in both @theCoconetTV and @JustycePetelo on Instagram so we can see how you're doing and share with our Coco fam!

All's well that ends well ...

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Friday 17th September 

10.30am NZT -

Samoa Observer reports that ahead of the 18 HRPP elected Members of Parliament swearing-in ceremony this morning, Samoa’s two dominant parties have finally set aside their differences, in what would hopefully bring to an end the four-months running political crisis.

Former Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi shook hands with his successor Fiame Naomi Mataafa as her Cabinet Ministers and Members arrived for Friday’s session of the House. 

Read the full article here 

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Parliament Sitting Friday 17 Sept 2021. HRPP's 18 elected members being sworn in (video below - click thru to watch on facebook) 

Thursday 16th September 

4pm NZT - 

#BREAKING The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Human Rights Protection Party and ordered the Speaker of the House to swear in the party’s members who were elected in April’s national poll.…more

Ikuna taste is more than just a business but a family with a passion to provide treats that are nourishing to our bodies and environment.

Run by Tongan Entrepreneur Pauline Fotu-Moala, Ikuna Taste offers carefully made products that is raw, organic, and natural. Their costumers rave on about their products such as cheesecakes, cookies and brownies. The icing on the cake of these delicious treats is that they’re plant based and keto friendly.

The name of the business comes from the friendly islands of Tonga. In translation “Ikuna” simply means to “Conquer”. The word is often used by Tongan’s to describe a victorious moment of overcoming a significant hurdle life.

“IKUNA is never used lightly however is often expressed with humility and gratitude towards goals and aspirations endured”, says the team at the Auckland based business.

Its proud owner Pauline started her business after finding a gap in the market for raw, organic, healthy and tasty treats in her home of South Auckland.…more

Meet talented author of "I Am Lupe" and proud Tongan... Sela Atiola!

Sela Atiola is a Tongan writer residing in Australia. Her mother is from Nukunuku and her father from Lofanga, Fakakai and Mango in Ha’apai. She’s a mother and author of children’s book “I Am Lupe” that came out this year. Her writing career is inspired by her experiences as a Pacific woman and passion for meaningful representation of Pacific people.  

This Tongan storyteller is a big believer in Pacific people writing their own stories. She sees value in using storytelling to empower our Pacific children, highlighting Pasifika excellence and seeing the power in lived experience. Representation in children’s literature is of great importance to society and Sela is willing to be a positive contributor to this change.

Her book “I am Lupe” explores themes of belonging, heritage and confidence in individuality. "I am Lupe" has moved readers around the world and is now available for purchase from huge literary spaces such as Target, Amazon and more.…more

Via Pasifika Medical Association Group 

Pasifika Futures (PFL) - the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families – in partnership with The Fono, mobilized a team of Covid-19 “Community Finders” to help stop the spread of the contagious Delta variant within the Pacific community.

“The role of the community finder is to locate an individual referral we receive from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) because they are a positive case or a close contact”, says Whānau Ora Manager for The Fono, Europa Kupu, who has been working closely with the PFL team to manage the Community Finders initiative.

She says the role is challenging when there are difficulties getting in contact with an individual after the usual methods (phone/email) are exhausted. In these circumstances, other means of reaching out such as home visits are used but with Alert Level 4 restrictions.…more

Via Pasifika Medical Association Group 

When the current Delta outbreak affected the schools of De La Salle College and McAuley High School, there was no hesitation by Pasifika Futures (PFL) - the Whānau Ora commissioning agency for Pacific families - to reach out and offer their support.

Families were instructed to self-isolate immediately so the school community needed support with food supplies, utility relief and mental health care to ensure they safely and comfortably remain in their bubbles.  

Deputy Principal for De La Salle College, Mr Elton Charles, said the school was grateful that PFL made significant efforts to quickly mobilize support to the students and their families.

“It was a curveball for the families. We had a large number of families mainly needing food support,” he said. 

Mr Charles said the school immediately communicated the support that PFL were offering and were then inundated with responses from families.…more

TAMA: tributes to all our Pasifika fathers - Some tributes to our dads from around the world from their children.

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Otulea Latu 

By his daughter Cathrine Tuivaiti 

"Anyone that knows me, and has had the privilege of meeting my Dad too, will realise that is where I get a lot of my personality traits from. Stubborn and loyal being at the top of that list.

Me and my 9 brothers and sisters have always had such a hard working Dad to look up to. One thing he has always told me, that never really connected till I was old enough to understand was,

‘Never forget who you are and where you come from.’

My Dad is my favourite Dad in the world."

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Paul Elliott & Atu Lagi 

By their son and step-son Jesse Elliott 

“Blessed to have two men I can call Fathers in my life, Paul Elliott and Atu Lagi.…more

via Radio New Zealand 

Cover image:  Associate Minister of Health Aupito William Sio. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

"They are the heroes on the frontline everyday keeping our communities safe ..."

The government is to give a $26 million boost to support Pacific communities during the current outbreak of Covid-19.

Associate Minister of Health Aupito William Sio said the funding would go towards Pacific health and disability services, community vaccination services and improving communications to specific groups within the Pacific community.

The minister said Pacific providers had proven that they are an essential part of the government's response to this outbreak.

"In the August 2020 outbreak and today, they are the heroes on the frontline everyday out there keeping our families and communities safe," he said in a statement.

"These providers are known and trusted by the communities that they both live and work in. They have the language skills and the cultural intelligence required for the most effective response.

"E fofo e le alamea le alamea, the solutions for our challenges lie within communities," he said.…more