Humans Of The Islands - Keith Waldron Moala
Keith Waldron Moala
Telecommunications Engineer
Tongan
How did you start your career in Telecommunications?
I was only 18 years old at the time when a British company offshore called Cable and Wireless came to Tonga. It was 1976 and it was the first Satellite dish ever brought to Tonga. I was so excited and I wanted to know about it so I applied for a job as a trainee technician. Before this, the way we communicated with the outside world was through radio high frequency and we only had one or two radio channels to New Zealand and you would have to shout down the phone line for people to hear you properly from Tonga. So Cable and Wireless started the first Satellite communication in the country. I spent ten years with them was able to replace the expatriate who was a British Engineer, and look after the Satellite station for the country.…more
Cook Islanders get into the spirit of giving this Christmas
Check out the awesome work the Cook Islands are doing for those who need a little bit more Christmas cheer this Christmas.
The Cook Island community has come together to support 1000 of its families most in need.
Source: ONE News
Samoan-Niuean graduate moves the room with Graduation speech
This is not the first time Joshua Iosefo, a spoken word artist, has made waves with a speech. In 2012 while a schoolboy at Mt Roskill, he appeared on Campbell Live with a speech called "Brown Brother" in which he talked about the stereotypes about Pacific Islanders.
Iosefo made an impassioned speech about overcoming adversity to graduate, with a video of the emotional moment now surpassing 75,000 views online.
Joshua Iosefo, a Bachelor of Communication Studies graduate of Samoan-Niuean descent from South Auckland, told the 2015 Design and Creative Technologies graduation ceremony that to walk across the stage and receive his degree was about "more than a piece of paper".
"We all have our own walk. We all come from different walks of life," he said.
With his voice breaking, the 21-year-old tells his fellow students and friends what the day means to him.
"When we walk across this stage we are saying we did it. When we walk across this stage we made it ...…more
Humans Of The Islands - Oriana Tui
Check out NZ-born Samoan business woman Oriana Tui - owner of Embrace Salon!
Three Wise Cousins Premiere
Check out some of the highlights from the world premiere of Three Wise Cousins!
The much anticipated release of self-funded samoan movie Three Wise Cousins premiered last night in Auckland at the Civic Centre to rave reviews, and more than a few belly laughs.
Producer and Director S.Q.S says that he is most proud that they stayed true to who they were, and both laughed and cried - in the dark.
"So many people cracked up laughing, so obviously the humor worked," says composer Andrew Faleatua.
While the general release date hasn't been set yet, S.Q.S assures that it'll reach cinemas across New Zealand and hopefully overseas.
Isolated Pacific islands get Christmas presents by parachute
Australian, Japanese and US air force planes deliver food and toys to remote atolls as part of the annual Operation Christmas Drop
Australian, Japanese and US air force planes are dropping food and toys on remote atolls in the Pacific as part of the US military’s longest-running humanitarian relief mission.
The packages will support 20,000 people across 56 islands in Micronesia, the Mariana Islands and Palau.
The US Air Force began the annual Operation Christmas Drop in 1952 when a Guam-based air crew noticed residents on the island of Kapingamarangi waving at them as they flew overhead. The crew gathered items they had on the plane, attached a parachute and dropped them to the islanders.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson welcomes baby girl!
Christmas has come early for action man Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with his girlfriend giving birth to a baby girl.
The newborn is the Fast & Furious star's first child with his longtime partner, Lauren Hashian. Johnson has a 14-year-old daughter with ex-wife Dany Garcia.
Johnson, 43, was emotional as he witnessed the birth, according to E! News, and both mother and baby are said to be doing well.
Just days prior to the birth, Hashian opened up about impending motherhood in a sweet post on Instagram.
"So grateful and in awe of this time," she wrote.
"To experience creating a little life is just incredible. This beautiful cycle of life and womanhood beginning again. And like Big Daddy says - Couldn't be prouder of all the kickass women she's going to have around her! And Men of course...
"Let's just hope big daddy doesn't equal 20 pound baby!" she playfully added.
According to Radaronline, the happy parents have named their little girl Jasmine.
Source: NZ Herald, The Daily Mail
Humans Of The Islands - Namila Benson
Namila Benson
Broadcaster/Broadcast Trainer/Boss Mama at Toddler HQ
Papua New Guinea
I’m a proud Tolai woman, from the beautiful island of Rabaul, in the East New Britain Province of PNG. Mum is from a picturesque village called Matalau, which is right on the beach. Matalau is where my heart is, although I live in Melbourne, Australia. I feel like culturally, emotionally, mentally and socially I have my feet firmly planted in both places, yet the older I get, I definitely sway more towards the island way of doing things.
What are things you treasure most in your life?
Family – they sustain, enrich and beautify my world…Culture - for guiding, educating and grounding me…Community - for uplifting, supporting and inspiring me…the Islander sistahood, who fill my life with so much passion, love and laughter. The sistas and Aunties are like a tonic for my soul. #BlackAndBrownGirlMagic…
What would you consider your biggest achievement to date?
Immersing myself in a career I love (broadcast media) and having complete confidence in what I bring to the airwaves.…more
Cook Islands road toll fatalities points to 'gutless' MP's
They dot the island like brightly coloured fast moving road insects, the cheapest, effective and most fun way to get around the tiny country.
But while the island breeze catches in the head ei's of the mamas, there is a much darker picture to this carefree vision of paradise. Lack of helmets and driving drunk are turning these machines into instruments of death - and the numbers are soaring.
After the most recent fatality over the weekend locals are labelling the Cook Islands’ parliament members ‘gutless’ as they continue to procrastinate over changes for road safety legislation.
The tiny Island of Rarotonga has the second highest road traffic deaths per capita in the world and has had five deaths by motorcycle this year on its short 20 minute island road.…more
PNG to offer citizenship for West Papuan refugees
Papua New Guinea are preparing to give citizenship to refugees from West Papua who are fleeing their homeland.
The Department of Immigration states they are in the process of granting citizenship to West Papuan refugees.
Deputy Chief of PNG Migration and Refugees Affairs, Esther Gaegaming said about 3000 refugees from West Papua who are currently stayed at refugee camps in East Awin, Iowara, Kuinga of North Fly Province have been registered.
Gaegaming says that refugees are the most vulnerable people in the world, and most of whom have lived in PNG for over fifteen years. “This is the greatest humanitarian crisis of all time, and this displacement is happening at around the world,” she said.
UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) considers the measures taken by the Papua New Guinea Government as positive act to integrate the West Papua refugees, and in order to protect the refugees, a clearer legal basis of this new migration is also in preparation.…more