Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 32
Increased Support needed for Pacific students to stay in school
Pacific high school students who are dropping out of school to help with the family income during the Covid-19 crisis should be provided with appropriate support to ensure their education is prioritised, says a leading Pacific psychologist.
Dr Byron Seiuli, a member of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) who is based in Hamilton, says leaving school for Pacific students may be the best short-term solution during the pandemic but may not help their families in the long term.
“Research has shown that those who drop out of school to help their families do not overcome the income barrier they initially face. Instead this behaviour perpetuates the cycle and it does not get any better for the student or their families,” he says.
“Many Pacific families have already sacrificed a lot to get their children through higher education so they can be in better paid employment and provide them with improved economic independence.…more
Compliance and awareness critical in keeping Pacific families safe at Alert Level 2
As Auckland adjusted to moving back into Alert Level 2.5 yesterday, a senior Pacific doctor says the Pacific community needs to clearly understand the new restrictions in order to further safeguard their families from Covid-19.
Senior member of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Dr Collin Tukuitonga, who also chairs the Pacific Expert Advisory Group to the Associate Minister of Health, says while there’s still community transmission being reported, families should remain alert and embrace the new guidelines.
There are around 132 active cases and more than 127 of which are linked to the Auckland August cluster, which is the largest the country has seen.
“Three quarters of the cases in the Auckland cluster have been Pasifika people. It’s important that we continue to adhere to the current guidelines and embrace the new ones,” says Dr Tukuitonga. “Two additional requirements are really important; one is to avoid mass gatherings. People need to understand that there’s a limit of ten people if you want to meet in a group.…more
Being inclusive with our elders during Covid-19 resurgence
The impact of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis is deeply affecting our elderly with an increase in anxiety and depression amongst the group, says a leading Pacific old age psychiatrist.
Dr Etuini Ma’u, a member of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) who is based at Waikato Hospital, says families need to take extra care to ensure that the Pacific elderly have the right support and reassurance during these uncertain times.
“The impact of lockdown is affecting the elderly deeply. There’s been an increase of anxiety and depression. The longer this drags out, the harder it will be for them.
It’s about maintaining that social connection and recognising that this is a very disruptive and uncertain time for your parents, for your elderly. Stay in contact, touch base with them regularly, offer them practical support, given the recommendation is that vulnerable people stay home.…more
L EYES - SAMOAN RANGE/FDKNS TRIBUTE
Poly entrepreneurs Dave Parker from Parker Films (Samoan) and Martin Coromandel (Maori) who owns & runs eyewear company L Eyes with his wife Allies in Brisbane, have collaborated on the 'Samoan Range' of eyewear to showcase the love for their culture.
L.Eyes is a small family business originally from New Zealand but now residing in Australia. They wanted to bring a product like no other to the eyewear market and have a number of Maori inspired designs in their eyewear catalogue and range.
The Samoan range which Dave has teamed up with them on, officially dropped at midnight/early hours this morning and can be purchased at the L Eyes Website here - https://www.leyesstore.com/collections/685-range/products/samoan-range
The frames were designed by Martin's brother Jared using the Samoan patterns from Dave's sleeve and each pair is handmade with unique wooden temples by L.EYES. Dave says it'll be the last time they do these specific designs and there's a limited number of stock so you'll need to get in quick if you'd like to purchase a pair.…more
Funding boost to address inequalities magnified by Covid-19 for Pacific
An injection of $19.5 million has been allocated to frontline Pacific healthcare teams to help combat Covid-19 and to support the Pacific community during this current resurgence.
Although the government funding is needed for urgent medical and practical needs for Pacific families during the Covid-19 resurgence, vice president of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Dr Teuila Percival QSO FRACP says there should also be a focus on improving homes and living conditions.
Appearing on TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning, Dr Percival said the Pacific community cannot afford to take their eye off the ball when it comes to issues like housing.
“The virus doesn’t discriminate, and it can affect everybody. But what we worry about is people’s pre-existing conditions like respiratory and chronic conditions. They are more likely to get severe diseases and more likely to die. When you look at underlying health conditions, we need to look at those big determinates, like housing. For us, this is such a big problem.…more
Support for Pacific high school students during Covid-19 resurgence
Providing food packages and financial help for utility bills has been a top priority for many of the organisations who are supporting Pacific families during the Covid-19 crisis.
But a need that is just as important is support for Pacific secondary school students so they can have the right tools to continue their studies during lockdown.
Dr Glenn Doherty, CEO of the Langimalie Tongan Health Society Incorporated in Onehunga, says the educational needs of students can be overlooked during a health and economic crisis. His organisation, which is a health provider for Tongan families, is determined to help Pacific students so they don’t fall through the cracks.
“When you’re Year 12 or 13, you’re preparing to either study or work. These Pasifika students are our priority because they are going to be the ones in line to financially help out their families during this time.…more
Covid19 Pacific Update - 25 August 20
New Zealand has entered its third week of Covid19 community transmission after the initial lockdown earlier in the year. Alert Level 3 restrictions for Auckland and Alert Level 2 restrictions for the rest of the country have been extended to the end of the week.
We're giving daily updates via the Ministry of Health and the Prime Minister on our Facebook page.
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Here is our update for the Pacific Region below -
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PACIFIC ISLANDS
AMERICAN SAMOA - COVID FREE
American Samoa is the only US jurisdiction, state or territory, without a confirmed Covid-19 case.
COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANAS - 54 total cases since March and 2 deaths, 21 new cases since middle of July.
All face-to-face learning in both private and public schools as well as the Northern Marianas College—with the exception of the special education program has been shut down until further notice, given the recent spread of COVID-19 in the community and the recent surge in the number of cases on Guam.…more
Immediate support available for all Pacific families
More than 13,000 Pacific families have received support packages from various Pacific organisations since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country in March this year.
But John Kiria from the Mt Wellington Integrated Healthcare in Auckland says there are still families who are too shy to come forward and he wants to assure them that there is no shame in reaching out for help.
“This is a unique situation that we have been put in and this is the first time we’ve needed to offer this type of support. Help is out there, and families should not be shy coming to us. There’s no shame in asking for help” he says.
“We don’t know how long this pandemic will last so our Pasifika community needs to know, we are here to lean on if they need our support.”
Mt Wellington Integrated Healthcare and other Pasifika Futures partners across the country have assisted more than 73,000 Pacific individuals by providing care packages and other means of support.…more
IMPORTANT UPDATE FOR OUR PACIFIC COMMUNITY
An important addendum to todays Covid announcement is that none of the confirmed Pacific cases are so far linked to the Emmanuel Cook Islands Church that the Rydges maintenance worker attended.
Prime Minister Jacinda Adern reinforces the importance of keeping up the high levels of Pacific testing if anyone has symptoms of Covid and reminds the public of how high Pasifika testing numbers are at 23% - higher then the percentage of the Pacific population in Aotearoa.
She has also given assurance that there will be a Pacific member included in the Ministry Of Health team in dealing with assessments and recommendations for our vulnerable communities.
Another important point made for Pasifika communities is that testing for overstayers is done by Ministry Of Health and this testing process isn't connected to other government enforcement agencies. Dr Bloomfield encrouages all people regardless of immigrations status to come forward and says the Government is keen to establish a position of community trust on this.
Support for positive tested Covid-19 families
The Fono, A health and wellbeing group that serves Pacific communities in Auckland and Northland, has been working overtime to mobilise medical support and other resources to Pacific families who have tested positive amid the recent resurgence of Covid-19 and those they have come in close contact with.
More than 75 people who have tested positive are linked to the recent community cluster in Auckland. The majority are Pacific individuals and The Fono, a Pasifika Futures partner, has had 222 referrals for Pacific families who have tested positive for Covid and their close contacts.
The Fono CEO Mr Tevita Funaki says his staff are in daily contact with those who have tested positive and they need reassurance and comfort during this tough time.
“The families are nervous. There is a level of anxiety there. They need to know that this is not their fault. They should be applauded for getting tested and protecting our community. We are here to make sure the families are okay and that their economic and personal needs are catered for during this time,” he says.…more