Pacific Blog

In Her Hands - Feeding the Future

Grace Malama Maselusi of Vaovai, Falealili is living proof that empowering rural women with access to finance and resources, they can help improve the livelihoods of their families and entire communities by reducing poverty, malnutrition and hunger.

📽 Watch Grace's story "In Her Hands: Feeding the Future" to see how she secured a better future for her family through farming while contributing to the increase and sustainability of nutritious vegetables in her village and district.

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Film maker: Denisa Maňásková Photography 
Writer/Producer: Liz Ah-Hi, Fine Mat Creative for the World Bank Pacific funded Samoa Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity and Marketing (SAFPROM) Project

Podcast

Bloke In A Bar - Siosiua Taukeiaho

Former NRL player Denan Kemp who hosts the Locker Room/Bloke in a Bar podcast, sits down with Mate Ma'a Tonga co-captain Siosiua Taukeiaho to talk about his journey from New Zealand to the Roosters which includes back-to-back premierships and being a part of the wave of players who chose to play for Tonga.


Events

The Beautiful Wedding Ceremony of Sala Moesha Crichton & Brian To'o

NRL and Toa Samoa star Brian To'o married his beautiful bride Sala-Moesha Crichton on Thursday the 8th of December 2022 in Sydney, Australia.

Panthers and Toa Samoa team mates Stephen Crichton and Spencer Leniu as well as Panthers & Fiji Bati International Sunia Turuva were among Brians groomsmen with Jarome Luai on Best Man duties and Stephen's girlfriend Leone Lauafia was one of Sala's bridesmaids.

Guests included Panthers team mates Taylan May, Tyrone May, Nathan Cleary, Izack Tago, Liam Martin, Matt Eisenhuth and coach Ivan Cleary.

Congratulations to the happy couple! 

Wedding and reception video (below) live streamed by Paula Moimoi Latu

Wedding reception celebration of Mr & Mrs Brian & Sala-Moesha To'o 


Pacific Blog

Local Hero of the Year Dave Letele needs 3,500 people for a good cause!

Dave Letele aka Brown Buttabean aka the 'New Zealand Local Hero of the Year' is teaming up with PERSOLKELLY recruitment to help drive the 3,500 'boots on the ground' needed for the 2023 Census.  

Thousands of workers are needed to help deliver the 2023 census and Dave is putting the call out to people of all ages, stages, backgrounds and ethnicities to get involved and help ensure everyone taks part, is counted and represented in the data collected.  It's particularly important our Maori and Pasifika communities are accounted for.

As someone who sees the power of community in action daily at his BBM Motivation programme, Dave Letele was compelled to get involved, encouraging New Zealanders to do their bit and apply to be a census collector.

“If we want change in our communities we first have to be seen and heard – and helping deliver the census is a great way to make sure your friends, whānau and neighbours are all counted,” says Dave.…more


Humans of the Islands

HUMANS OF THE ISLANDS - JAROM SU'A

Jarom Su'a

Producer/Songwriter 

Samoan/Argentinian/Mexican 

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My name is Jarom Su’a. I’m a 16-year-old producer/songwriter and artist based out of Florida/LA. I was born in Utah but later moved to Florida when I was very young. I’m a mix of Samoan and Argentinian/Mexican.

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What were the pathways that led you to doing music and ultimately making beats and the producer side of things?

I remember being little and always loved music - I was 11 years old when I was in the car, and I heard “Are You That Somebody” by Aaliyah & Timbaland; I just wanted to know how people make the beats of these songs I hear on the radio—I was hooked! I remember going home and practicing; I bought Timbaland’s online Masterclass. If you listen to my music, you can hear the Timbaland influence, and I think it’s what shaped the way I make music forever but while still staying true to my own sound.…more


Coco News

COP27: Money, Lobbyists and The Pacific Presence

COP27 in Egypt ended with one big win and many other disappointments.

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference more commonly referred to as COP27, was the 27th UN Climate conference, held from 6 November until 20 November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. It gathered world leaders, national negotiators and civil society to discuss the state of our planet and plans to tackle the climate crisis.

The Pacific showed up strong to this year's COP27 with one of the priorities on the agenda being the establishment of a Loss & Damage fund. This has been something the region has been fighting for three decades for. 

One of the major wins this year was COP27 reaching an agreement on an outcome that established a funding mechanism to compensate vulnerable nations for ‘loss and damage’ from climate-induced disasters.…more


Sports

Moana Pasifika - Historic first signing

By Thomas Airey 

Miracle Fai’ilagi will never forget the date September 19th, the night a phone call changed his life.

“It was so unreal,” the 23-year-old Samoan loose forward from Vailele and Uafato said.

“The Moana Pasifika coach giving me a call, giving me the news that I made the team. I was just so out of words.”

Coach Aaron Mauger had attended the World Rugby Pacific Combine earlier that month, where he said Fai’ilagi was a clear standout.

Speaking from home in Vailele with the family he was nervous to leave behind, Fai’ilagi said signing his two-year contract with Moana was huge:

“Us local players, we hardly get those opportunities.

“This is a blessing for me, and also my family.”

He hopes to follow in the footsteps of uncle Joe Tekori, who retired in June after 37 caps for Manu Samoa and 15 years at the pinnacle of club rugby in France.

“He was one of the people that I looked up to, not only playing but I’ve seen him helping with our family financially,” Fai’ilagi said.…more


Pacific Blog

Olaga a le Aiga Faigafaiva - Life of a Fisher Family in Manono Tai, Samoa

The life of Manono Island, is the sea!

In Samoa, artisanal fishers are a link to our cultural history and traditions. They face many challenges to their way of living especially due to climate change, overfishing and ocean pollution not to mention it is a risky job.

Depending on the ocean to make a living is not easy. Take a look into the world of small scale fisheries through the eyes of the Leiataua family from Manono-Tai.

Get an insight into a day in the life of this Fisher family, the challenges they overcome and risks they face to generate income while also providing food for their families and community.

Small scale Fisheries and Aquaculture are crucial to people's nutrition, food security, sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing.

This year is the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture #IYAFA2022 which aims to focus world attention on the role that small scale fishers, fish farmers and workers play in human wellbeing, food security and nutrition.…more


Sports

Samoa vs Australia Rugby League World Cup Highlights

Highlights from Toa Samoa vs Australia Kangaroos historic grand final at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Final score was Samoa 10 - Australia 30 but despite the loss, the Toa Samoa team made impressive stats across the Rugby League World Cup tournament as per Daily Sports News: 

* Toa Samoa had the most young players of the tournament under 25 years of age.

* They had the most injuries/players ruled out of the tournament (8)

* They defeated both Tonga in the Quarter Finals and England in the Semi Finals and were thought of as the "Underdogs" going into both games

* The semi final against England was voted 'Best match of the tournament' by fans 

* They were the first Pacifc/Tier 2/6th new nation to appear in the Rugby League World Cup Final 

* They were the most watched team of the tournament (1.1 million views across all games).…more


Sports

The dream is over. Long live the dream.

By Samoan sports reporter Loveni Shane Enari

The dream is over. Long live the dream.

From Long Beach to Lalomanu, from Safua to San Francisco, from Manono to Mangere, the dream is over for thousands of Samoans all over the world but hey, what a trip it’s been.

The end result, 30-10, was insignificant, as we were left with a bitter sweet smile, grateful for the brief but intense, uniting sensation, but resigned to the fact that, 9 times out of 10, Goliath kicks David’s ass.

It just wasn’t to be but if ever the old favourite,

‘Ua fa’afetai, ua fa’afetai, ua malie mata e va’ai.

Ua tasi lava oe, ua tası lava oe,

I lo’u nei fa’amoemoe …’

… needed to be sung, it was last night in Manchester.

These players, thrown together just over a month ago, which hadn’t played together in three years, yes, three years, almost did it.

This, despite all the injuries suffered, despite the terrible opening to the tournament and despite the lack of resources versus the Goliath of rugby league.…more