Sports

TUA TAGOVAILOA - TOP 5 DRAFT PICK - MIAMI DOLPHINS!

“With The Fifth Pick In The 2020 NFL Draft, The Miami Dolphins Select Tua Tagovailoa”

Congrats Tua we can't wait to follow your NFL journey! 

Check out Tua's Alabama Crimson Tide Football highlights here.


Coco News

Info on Public Transportation once we move to Alert Level 3

Auckland Council Board Member Nick Bakulich has shared this info on Public Transportation once we move to Alert Level 3 - 

What to do when you travel on buses:

Cash purchases will not be accepted on board during Alert Level 3. You must use a HOP card.
You must use the rear door to get on and off buses.
Tag on and off using the HOP card reader inside the rear door.
If you use a wheelchair or mobility device or require driver assistance, you can still get on and off using the front door.
Customers will not be able to use the first row of seats behind the bus driver.
Please observe the signs on board which indicate two-metre distancing.
Once a bus is at capacity, drivers will only drop customers off.

Cleaning of public transport

The safety of our workers and customers is a priority, so we’re making sure all public transport is cleaned regularly. We’ve also stepped up our regime to include antimicrobial cleaning.…more


Coco News

Grandmother’s resilience in the face of delayed cancer treatments during Covid-19 Crisis

Samoan grandmother Christina Toleafoa, who is currently being treated for cancer, is like many in the community who is concerned with the threat of Covid-19.

But she has an extra reason to be worried because the crisis has affected her regular chemotherapy sessions. The extra precautions taken to minimise the spread of Covid-19 has meant her usual treatments are being postponed and her regular body scan, which tracks the progression of the cancer, is frequently delayed.

“It’s something that’s been on my mind since this all started. I’m very concerned,” she says.

The Ministry of Health has advised patients that they will continue to receive the same level of care nationwide during the Covid-19. But Christina says regular contact with her specialists have decreased and her consultations are now over the phone, as opposed to face-to-face.

Christina, whose mother died from breast cancer was officially diagnosed of the same condition herself in 2016 and her journey against cancer started with oral treatment.…more


Humans of the Islands

HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - RAYMOND SAGAPOLUTELE

RAYMOND SAGAPOLUTELE 

Photographer/ Visual Artist

Samoan 

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Tell us a bit about yourself - where were you born and raised? 

Talofa lava and thanks for the opportunity to share. I was born at Middlemore Hospital in Otahuhu and I spent my early years in Invercargill and the Waikato and our family came back to South Auckland in 1980 and I’ve been a proud son of Manurewa ever since.

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How did you first get into photography? Where did you make your start? 

Mum and dad always had a camera in the house, they weren’t anything fancy and it was either a polaroid or those weird think Kodak cameras that used 110 film – they looked like those skinny little cameras you’d seen in spy films. I used to play around with them and some of my early photos are both awesome and hilarious. I didn’t take it seriously as part of my practice as an artist until around 2003 when, at my wife's insistence I took a couple of night classes to learn how to shoot, develop film and print.…more


Humans of the Islands

HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS: Queer Coco a.k.a Saipele Vaimoso

SAIPELE VAIMOSO

Podcast/ Radio Show Host & Personality

Samoan

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Tell us a little bit about yourself: where were you born and raised and what ethnicity are you? 

I am Saipele Vaimoso (29) and I’m Samoan. My mum comes from the villages of Vaisala, Sasatele and Falealili; my dad is from Vaimoso, Faleapuna and Falefa. I was born in Otahuhu, South Auckland and grew up in Otara. Brisbane, Australia is where I’ve resided since I was 15 years old.

For those who don't know about Queer Coco podcast, what is it and why did you start it? 

I started the Queer Coco Podcast to tell my own story as a Gay Samoan man and it has now evolved into platform for other Queer Pasifika & Maori people to tell theirs. I would like the Podcast to be a resource for not only our QPM Youth and our allies but also for parents.

You have particularly spoken about your experience growing up as a Queer Person in the Pacific Community.…more


Coco News

Living Alone During Lockdown

“I’m not lonely but I am alone,” says JaeD Victor, describing what it’s like during the Covid-19 lockdown period while living alone.

The Samoan broadcaster has been living by himself for ten years so he’s use to having his own space. But he says the self-isolation period during the Covid-19 crisis has been different, mainly because his public movements are limited and he’s forced to work from home.

“I thought I was going to enjoy working from home but the unfortunate thing is when you’re home you have so many distractions. You stop work and go and have a nap or go into the kitchen. What I’ve come to realize under these circumstances is how self sufficient you become when you live by yourself.”

The 55-year-old has type 2 diabetes and knows the importance of the level 4 self isolation period. He says experiencing it alone can be challenging.

“I don’t have any visitors and because you live alone during these restrictions, you can sometimes feel your friends and family don’t realize you’re here.…more


Coco News

A PACIFIC CHILD’S PERSPECTIVE AND WAYS THEY CAN COPE DURING THE COVID 19 CRISIS

For three Fijian youngsters - Zion, Israel and Jeda’iah - there’s been a silver lining during the Covid-19 lock down period - no school.

Although the response from the Pickering-Thakathaka siblings maybe typical for a child, they are all aware of the importance of the actions taken by the New Zealand Government.

“We understand why this is happening,” says 12-year-old Israel “It’s to keep us safe and to stop us from getting the disease and stop others from spreading it.”

The siblings live in a three-bedroom Auckland home with their 11-month-old brother, their parents, an Aunt and their grandmother. The last four weeks have been a routine of prayer, home schooling and daily chores. They’ve even managed to paint a fence and tidy up their grandmother’s garden. Their situation is similar to many other Pacific children who share a home with their extended family. The siblings say they only need to look at their little brother and their grandmother to fully understand the people they’re trying to protect.

“I do feel frustrated at times,” says 15-year-old Zion.…more


Coco News

Do's and Don'ts in your Island Bubble

Mama Secretary goes through the Alert Level 3 conditions with the Kuki Airani dancers she's got on lockdown with her.

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Watch Mamas Lockdown here 

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CREDITS:

Shot, Directed, Edited and acted by Rongomai

FB: Ron-Go

YouTube: Rongomai Taiapa-Aporo

Insta: rongo___


Humans of the Islands

HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - Blackbutterfly Group

JANICE ELIA, TAPU & JOE FUIAVA

Mental Health Initiative; Blackbutterfly Group 

Samoan

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We are a group of Pasifika people from a Samoan and Tongan heritage. We were born and raised in New Zealand and migrated to Brisbane Australia. Tapu and Janice are sisters and both work in specialised community mental health services. Joe and Tapu are married, and Joe has been working with children in crisis for many years. We’re a close-knit family that enjoys working together towards a common goal. 

Where did the idea for the Blackbutterfly initiative come from?

The idea of Blackbutterfly was born out of need. Amongst ourselves, we would often have deep discussions about the challenges we were experiencing personally but also what we saw happening to our family and friends. We basically got tired of talking and began asking ourselves what can we do about it? 

Utilising the traditional process of a talanoa, it was obvious to us that this was the most suitable mechanism for our people.…more


Coco News

CORONAVIRUS WEEK 6 - COVID19 PACIFIC UPDATE

The CoconetTV ongoing Pacific Islands updates for our community in Aotearoa and the Pacific region.

To catch up on updates from Week 1 click here , Week 2 click here , Week 3 click here, Week 4 click here & Week 5 click here 

End of week round up - 

NEW ZEALAND - The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday that NZ Is on lockdown Alert Level 4 until 11.59pm on Mon 27th April.  The country will then move into a strict Alert level 3 for a further two weeks.  

Schools will reopen for a teacher only day 28 April and students who cannot study from home can attend from 29 April.
  • People instructed to stay home in their bubble other than for essential personal movement – including to go to work, school if they have to or for local recreation.
  • Physical distancing of two metres outside home (including on public transport), or one metre in controlled environments like schools and workplaces.…more