Coco Talanoa — Humans of the Islands / Page 21

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.

Joyana Finch (nee Meyer)

Mechatronic Engineer

Former Miss South Pacific & Miss Cook Islands

Cook Islands 

What do you love about doing what you do?

Thats a hard question. There's so much to enjoy in this job. Yes I enjoy the travelling, working with new people and a whole lot of other work perks but my love for this role has nothing to do with that.  What I love about being an Engineer is the opportunity to solve problems.  I imagine that many would hear that and their eyes would glaze over but when I think about it .... being able to attack problems systematically and methodically with logic (aaaand a boat load of patience) gives me a sense of .... freedom.

When you understand more and more about how the things that make up your world work, how you can fix them, how you can modify them to do your bidding, or better yet, how to build something of your own imagining ...…more

Paeariki Johnson (nee Mataroa)

Principal, Rongomai Primary School in Otara 

Cook Islands 

I was born in Ngatangiia in Rarotonga and came over to New Zealand with my 2 older siblings, I was only 1 at the time.  My Dad came over first and worked here for a year or 2, sent money back and brought my Mum and my sisters over.  We stayed with our uncles first and then moved into a flat but all they drilled into us was 'Education, education, education'.  We settled in Otahuhu first but I was schooled in Otara - East Tamaki Primary, Ferguson Intermediate & Hillary College.  Then I went off to Teachers College in Epsom and during my teaching career I did my degree through Auckland Uni and did my Post Grad in Educational Leadership.  

I had always aspired to be a teacher.  When I was in Year 6 (Standard 4), we had this amazing teacher at East Tamaki Primary and he used to give us breakfast, we'd go for runs and so on and that was something that wasn't done back then.…more

David Cordtz a.k.a DC Cordtz

39 years old, Samoan / Kiwi

Vegan Calisthenics Athlete, Zuu Fitness Trainer

Michel Mulipola

Samoan

Comic Book Artist / Professional Wrestler and owner of 'Bloody Samoan Art' company.

Michel Mulipola is a self taught Samoan comic book artist from Auckland. He is currently working as a Story Artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios on an upcoming project. You also may regonise him as the wrestler "Bloody Samoan". 

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As a little kid I pretty much remember my Uncles being into comics. I stumbled across their stash of comic books and instantly fell in love with it. I think it was just the characters, the costumes, the bright colours, just everything about it captured my young imagination. Eversince then, it’s been a constant in my life - just comic books.

Being a kid, naturally I loved to draw and when I found those comics, all I wanted to be was a comic book artist.

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So were you that kid in class drawing comic characters while the teacher was teaching?

Yeah.…more

Mara Liske

Former Professional Golfer

American Samoan

I grew up Pago Pago in Tutuila, American Samoa. I moved to California, United States in my Junior Year in High School and it's been my home ever since. I'm now married to a 'Californian'.