Coco Talanoa — Humans of the Islands / Page 20

Sarai Bareman

FIFA's first appointed Chief Women's Football Officer

Dutch / Samoan

.

I was born and raised in New Zealand. My mother is full Samoan and my father is Dutch, he’s from the Netherlands. I am the second eldest in my family, I have three brothers and I’m the only girl. So you can say that I grew up as a bit of a tomboy. We had a strong sporting influence in my family. My father has been a coach since I was young, my mother has always been a (club) manager and she was also an aerobics instructor so we have a very active family and upbringing.I grew up in West Auckland and that’s where I started my football journey as well. My club that I played for was Waitakere city, so I’ve been around Auckland a little bit with my football playing, but I’m truly a westie at heart.…more

Esther Greenwood 

Create Team Director at Equippers Church Auckland

Fiji 

OLIVE ASI 

Actress currently studying at the New York Film Academy Australia campus 

Samoan 

Tell us a bit about your background

I was born in New Zealand and grew up in Mangere East.  Our family moved to Brisbane and we lived in Sandgate and Bracken Ridge suburbs.  I went to Sandgate State Primary School and Sandgate District High School.  In 2003 we moved back to NZ and lived in different areas of South Auckland until we settled in Otara/East Tamaki.

Young Olive wearing the white t.shirt seated in front

Have you always been passionate about Performing Arts?

I was always told stories by family members that from a young age I was always entertaining everyone and any time someone put on the radio or played music clips I was always the first one up ready to dance and sing the song and act like I knew the lyrics to all their favourite artists.…more

JAHRA 'RAGER' WASASALA 

Contemporary Dancer, Poet and Choreographer 

FIJI 

Four words that describe you:

Vessel – “I think my name is a great word to encompass who I am, in terms of being a messenger for things that are beyond my physical capacity. ‘Vessel’ is very true to how I perceive my purpose, to be an open armed space for other things to work through me.”

Woman – “Before anything in this world, I would consider myself to be woman first. That’s something that I feel so privileged and blessed to be. I wouldn’t want to be any other way. I think there is so much power that is instinctive to being a woman.”

Invested (heavily) –  “I’m almost to the point of obsession with the things I care about. That includes art, my outside interests, my family, anything like that, I am so invested. I will try to unpack everything, that includes myself and my journey.…more

Sesilani Ofa

Proud Mum and One of Only a Few Tongan Police Officers

Tonga 

Q & A with Constable Sesilani Ofa

Coco blogger Aaron Taouma met up with Constable Sesilani Ofa who was the first full Tongan female police officer to serve in Auckland and one of the few Tongans in the NZ Police. She has been based at the Otahuhu Police Station for the past eight years and doing it all as a solo-mum.

We think she's a star! Check out her Question and Answer session below and find out about her inspiring story as one of our ‘Humans of the Islands’...

Q. Malo e lelei Sesilani, can you tell us a little about your life growing up and how this may have influenced you joining the Police Force?

A. I was quite fortunate to grow up in a lovely Christian family in Grey Lynn. My father was a reverend at the United Church of Tonga. My dad came from Tonga when he was about 11 or 12 where he attended Epsom Normal Intermediate then on to Auckland Boys Grammar.…more

Meet Ko Pali'i Guams traditional healer ...

Deirdre Victoria Felicity Corbett 

Model/Student

Tongan/Kiwi 

 filed by Aaron Taouma

Sixteen-year-old Tongan-Kiwi (actually dad's an Aussie) Deirdre Corbett never thought she would be part of a beauty pageant let alone be representing Tonga at an international event in Mongolia.

But that’s exactly where she is heading for two weeks at the end of September to take on a field of 60 participants from around the world at the Miss Face of Beauty International 2016. And, she will be going alone.

“This will be my second time going overseas. I was about 2 when I went to Australia but I don’t remember anything. I'll also be going alone as in my family won't be coming to Mongolia with me which will be scary but exciting at the same time"

Deirdre was always into sports, playing volleyball, netball and soccer but when her mum pointed out the opportunity to enter the Miss Teen NZ beauty pageant earlier in the year, she went for it.

“Yeah, I used to play sports everyday.…more

Ben Makisi aka The Polynesian Pavarotti - our very own international Opera Singer singing his way around Europe! 

Benjamin Fifita Makisi was born in Wellington, NZ and is of Tongan and Samoan descent.

He began singing at a young age with the Tongan Wesley Methodist church choir in Wellington.

He graduated with a Master of Performance (Opera) with High Distinction from the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from Victoria University Wellington. He had also received his tutoring in New York, London and in Italy.