NZ Covid19 cases fall but Pasifika cases in NZ rise
As confirmed numbers of Covid19 cases in Aotearoa start to decline, Pacific case numbers rose to 54 on April 11th, and our Pacific medical communities are worried that not enough Pacific people are being tested and that our high risk communities still aren’t practising lockdown rules.
Dr Rawiri Taonui expressed his concern on the Waatea news site around Maori and Pacific Covid 19 case numbers and testing data, saying that the current Pacific testing percentage of 7.2% is ‘based on a single primary identity’ meaning that the multi ethnic Pacific population is missing and our communities are being under counted
Dr Taonui says that the current model of testing data does not count at least 60,000 Pacific people from the 2018 Census and that the Ministry’s reluctance to release DHB data by ethnicity reflects a white risk-management approach to data and information for Māori and Pacific communities.
“Information is not a privilege.…more
ON THE RISE - HOLY BOY DOM
Dominic Tupou a.k.a. Holy Boy Dom is a young Poly entertainer on the rise!
His social media platforms have a solid following and he already has a TV resume to his name including a cast role in the tv feature series 'Jonah', and a spot on Fresh's own 'How Fresh Are You?!' - all while still at school!! Watch this space ...
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Credits:
Director / Editor - Sapati Apa
Camera Operator - Fa'anati Mamea
Sound Operator - Sefa Taouma
New website for Pacific communities to Fight COVID-19
A new website dedicated to providing information for Pacific communities across New Zealand has been launched to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.
PreparePacific.nz is supported by Counties Manukau Health, Auckland District Health Board, Waitematā District Health Board, Northland District Health Board, Ministry of Health and The Cause Collective.
The aim of the site is to provide up-to-date and relevant information that supports the fight against COVID-19 but in a one-stop shop portal and from Pacific perspectives.
Counties Manukau CE, Fepulea’i Margie Apa says Pacific peoples are faced with a lot of mixed messages about Covid19, and PreparePacific.nz will help them find what they need in one place.
“Our Pacific communities told us they have to look at many different sources to find information which at times is difficult to understand,” says Apa. “We listened to their insights and designed PreparePacific.nz around their needs.”
Features include panels in Pacific Island languages, health messages from Pacific doctors, contacts for family and sexual violence, financial support information and a list of essential services and Pacific providers.…more
Otara Testing Station one of the Busiest in Auckland
It seems the Pacific Community from South Auckland have proved themselves very health conscious, with the testing station in Otara becoming one of the busiest in Auckland since it's opening on Saturday 4th of April.
On its first day of operation, the site had the largest number of people tested in Auckland, with about 80 tests, says the chief executive of South Seas Healthcare, Lemalu Silao Vaisola-Sefo. Based at the Otara Shopping Centre carpark, Otara has averaged around 100 tests per day.
Lemalu, who is a member of the Pasifika Medical Association, says the high numbers show the demand within the Pasifika community to get tested. He says accessibility is now less of a barrier, with additional stations in South Auckland located in Takanini and Mangere.
“For a lot of our Pasifika families, it’s about having peace of mind and making sure they are keeping their families safe. So it’s important that we are here,” he says.…more
Samoan man tells of his horrific Covid experience and warns Pacific people to keep their aiga safe
More than a year on from his horrific Covid experience, Geoff Muliaga has this heartfelt message for our Pasifika people
"Talofa lava, Last year changed my perspective on this COVID-19, so be responsible don't ignore the signs. Get vaccinated, build a wall so you are able to fight this virus and it's capability. Protect yourself, well being, on-going health and aiga.…more
HOME WORKOUT WITH ASH - LOWER BODY WORKOUT
Pasifika Fitness Instructor Ashleigh Elliott from Fit Mums NZ rounds out her workout at home with this lower body workout.
Follow along with her here - she has easy options for those just starting out on their Fitness Journey. Then put it together with her 8 min Tabata workout & Upper body workout and you've had a full body workout!
Waitui Atea - Saltwater Realm Exhibition
The Auckland libraries present a brand new exhibition, displaying a number of contemporary stories and rare heritage pieces from the pacific. Encouraging people to think about the Pacific in a different way, the exhibition covers 22 islands, and has works spanning from the Tahitian Tapas in Captain Cook’s collection, to materials from the infant navigation school in Samoa.
In collaboration with the Auckland museum, University of Auckland and Maritime museum, Daren Kamali (Senior Creative Pasifika of Auckland libraries) describes the importance of an event like this one; “I think it’s important for us Pacific people living in diaspora, especially living in Aotearoa, and our children mainly. This exhibition is one of the first of it’s kind in Auckland Libraries.” Daren, a Fijian born New Zealander, describes how much he’s learnt from his two years in the role of Senior Creative Pacific, “I’ve learnt more here in New Zealand about the history of Fiji, than my time actually growing up in Fiji, because they never did Fiji studies in schools.…more
ʻO le Tala o le Māfua'aga o le Tuiga' - The Origin Story of the Tuiga
By Jake Fitisemanu Jnr.
There was once a taupou named Vītaliutaolepaepae(1), the daughter of orator chief ‘Ulu(2) who lived in Puipa‘a village, Faleata district, ‘Upolu island. Vī was renowned throughout the islands for her beauty -- especially her wavy, brown hair -- of which she was extremely proud and boastful. Her pretty friends (also the daughters of chiefs) were just as conceited and self-centered, and they relentlessly teased all the other girls in the village.
After years of hearing the villagers complain about his daughterʻs bullying, chief ʻUlu had had enough of her childish ways. He told Vī that it was time to grow up, and that she had one year(3) to choose a husband to settle down with. Vī hoped that if she made the selection criteria stringent enough, that no man would be eligible, and she could stay single and carefree forever(4).…more
HOME WORKOUT WITH FILI TAPA
Tongan model Fili Tapa takes us through a HIIT fitness workout that you can do at home while you're on lockdown.
Follow along with him here! Fili has both easy and hard options to try out depending on your fitness level.
Get your day moving with some fun fitness for lockdown!
HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - RUBEN VULAWALU
RUBEN VULAWALU
Communications Assistant/illustrator
Fijian
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My name is Ruben, I was born and raised in Suva and also lived in the West during my high school years in Lautoka.
How did you get into illustration art? Has it always been a passion?
I was brought up my grandparents in the early 1980s, and had just started school in Veiuto Primary School, when my grandfather/namesake who served during the Solomon Islands campaign and was a retired war veteran moved to the chiefly village of Drue in Kadavu to retire (5 hours by boat in the southern part of Viti Levu).
He used to love reading the Fiji Times - Letters to the editors particularly. Growing up I made it a personal hobby to trace the editorial cartoons from every weekends paper and send it by snail mail to the village.…more