New settlement support project helps Tongans prepare for life in New Zealand
Via RNZ
A representative of a non-government organisation working to assist Tongans prepare for settlement in New Zealand under the Pacific Access Category resident visa programme believes the project will be a game-changer for Pacific Islanders if they make use of it.
Cassandra Vaea said the work done by the Pacific Settlement Support Services (PSSS), in partnership with SIAOLA - a National Pacific Social Service Provider based in Auckland and Gisborne under the umbrella of the Methodist Church of New Zealand and the Methodist Alliance of Social Service Providers - is critical for Tongans and other Islanders, especially in Samoa, in ensuring that their transition when migrating to Aotearoa is made easier.
The PSSS was established in 2019 by Laura Keill-Hall, Mandy Siitia and Zeprina Fale, Samoans living in New Zealand who wanted to help fellow Samoans.
That help has now extended to Tonga through the partnership with SIAOLA, signed between PSSS chief executive Mandy Siitia and Kathleen Tuai Ta'ufo'ou, the SIAOLA chief executive earlier this year.…more
Samoan Boxing champ Jai Opetaia sues over stripped world title
Jai Opetaia takes boxing’s biggest power players to court over ‘corruption’ claims
Samoan-Australian boxing champion Jai Opetaia has taken his fight outside the ring, launching legal action against the International Boxing Federation (IBF) over the loss of his cruiserweight world title.
The undefeated 31-year-old has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, seeking to have his IBF title reinstated and alleging that his stripping was part of a wider effort to punish him for signing with controversial new promotion Zuffa Boxing.
Opetaia is also seeking damages, legal costs and an injunction preventing the IBF from naming a new cruiserweight champion while the case is ongoing.
At the centre of the lawsuit is Opetaia’s claim that the IBF and other major boxing organisations have acted against him because of his decision to join Zuffa Boxing.
The 19-page complaint alleges that the IBF’s actions were part of “co-ordinated, industry-wide collusion designed to penalise Jai for signing with Zuffa Boxing and to deter other athletes from doing the same”.…more
17 year old Femily Notte first female to win a medal for the Pacific Comm Games 2026
17-year-old Femily-Crystie Notte, continued Nauru's extraordinary run of weightlifting success by winning bronze in Womens 63kgs weightlifting.
Pacific athletes are making their mark at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Samoa, Nauru and Papua New Guinea all securing medals across the opening days of competition.
Papua New Guinea's Morea Baru made history as the first Pacific Island athlete to win a medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, claiming bronze in the men's 65kg weightlifting competition.
The 36-year-old lifted a combined total of 282kg, recording 125kg in the snatch and 157kg in the clean and jerk.
The bronze is Baru's fourth Commonwealth Games medal and his second bronze, having previously collected two silver medals at earlier Games.
India's Raja Muthupandi claimed silver with a total of 286kg, while Malaysia's Aznil Biden secured his third consecutive Commonwealth Games gold with 299kg.
Baru wasn't the only Pacific weightlifter to reach the podium.
Samoa's John Lautafi Tafi won silver in the men's 71kg division, while Nauru's Ezekiel Moses claimed bronze in the same event.…more
From Fasi to Disney: How a Tongan costume designer wove the Pacific into every thread of Moana
By Destiny Momoisea
"I truly felt the weight of the responsibility I had been entrusted with and hope the work we achieved honours the Pacific cultures and peoples they represent, including my own."
When audiences watch Disney's live-action Moana, they'll see woven mats, tapa, siapo, ti leaves and hand-painted textiles filling the screen.
What many won't realise is that behind every stitch, braid and woven fibre is a Tongan woman who grew up surrounded by those very traditions.
For Emmy Award-winning costume designer Liz McGregor, designing the costumes for one of Disney's biggest productions became a deeply personal mission to honour the cultures that shaped her.
A little girl from Tonga with big dreams
McGregor grew up in Fasi, Tongatapu, although her Fifita family is from Kolomotu'a, her mother's village.
She spent much of her childhood around family in Kolomotu'a, "hanging out with my cousins", surrounded by the traditions and craftsmanship that would later become such an important part of her career.…more
Barred but not broken: Daunakamakama turns heartbreak into Commonwealth Games drive
By Taina Basiyalo
The moment Jasmine Daunakamakama was told she could not compete at last year’s World Boxing Championships was one of the toughest of her young career.
Months of preparation ended without the Fijian even stepping into the ring after she was barred from competing because her mandatory gender eligibility test arrived late — a requirement introduced by World Boxing following the controversy surrounding the women’s competition at the Paris Olympics.
For many athletes, it would have been a crushing setback.
For Daunakamakama, it became the motivation behind her historic Commonwealth Games campaign.
Now, the 21-year-old is preparing to become the first Fijian woman to compete in boxing at the Commonwealth Games when she faces Ghana in the women’s 57kg division on Sunday.
Rather than dwelling on last year’s disappointment, Daunakamakama says the experience taught her resilience.
“I was quite emotional hearing the news because we’d trained for months, and I missed the chance to improve my world ranking. But in boxing, you’re faced with a lot of uncomfortable situations.…more
Parents of Australia’s first naturally conceived identical quadruplets keep housing support after government steps in
A Queensland family from the Solomon Islands who recently welcomed Australia’s first naturally conceived identical quadruplets will continue receiving government rental assistance after the Housing Minister stepped in to overturn a decision that threatened to leave them without support.
Jenitar Na’amoana, 34, and her husband Jortham, who are originally from Honiara in the Solomon Islands, welcomed their four daughters, Emily, Harriet, Alexa and Catherine, at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on July 14.
The birth is believed to be the first naturally conceived pregnancy of its kind in Australia, with the four girls delivered by elective caesarean section at 28 weeks and four days.
The newborns remain in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit, where they are receiving specialist care.
The couple are now parents to eight children, with their quadruplets joining their four older children aged 10, eight, three and one.
Before the girls arrived, the family launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the costs of preparing for four newborns, including baby equipment, a larger family vehicle, medical expenses, travel and everyday living costs.…more
“Still proudly South Auckland”: Ireland rugby star Bundee Aki returns home to Manurewa High School
Fresh from taking on the All Blacks in the weekend, Ireland rugby star Bundee Aki returned to where his journey began, visiting his old school, Manurewa High School in South Auckland.
The surprise visit brought plenty of laughs, memories and heartfelt reunions as Bundee caught up with some of the teachers who supported him during his high school years.
Among those welcoming him back were his former Kaitiaki teacher Mr Randle, who taught him in 9RN, and his English teacher Mrs Chandra, who worked hard to keep him focused in the classroom.
The school shared that while Bundee’s international rugby career was something to celebrate, what stood out most was the person he had become.
“Still humble. Still grounded. Still proudly Samoan. Still proudly South Auckland. Still proudly repping Manurewa,” the school said.
Bundee attended Manurewa High School where he represented the school’s First XV and Samoan group before going on to represent Ireland on rugby’s biggest stages.…more
Doug Fiefia Becomes First Tongan State Senator in US History
A Tongan-American politician has made history after winning his primary election to become the first Tongan elected to a state senate in United States history.
Doug Fiefia, who currently serves in the Utah House of Representatives, will soon take his seat in the Utah State Senate, representing around 120,000 residents.
Speaking during a recent visit to Tonga, Fiefia said the milestone was both humbling and significant for Tongans around the world.
"I will be the first Tongan state senator in the history of America, and I'm honoured to serve."
Fiefia said his election reflects the growing political influence of Pacific Islanders in the United States. His new constituency includes a Tongan community of several thousand people, many of whom played a key role in his campaign by volunteering and fundraising.
"They were some of my biggest volunteers and biggest donors who helped us get this last win. I'm honoured to represent our people."
Before entering politics, Fiefia spent five years working at Google, where his experience in the technology sector inspired him to pursue public office.…more
NZ medical specialists travel to Tonga to perform complex surgery on newborn
The deployment enabled specialist paediatric surgeon and PMA President, Dr Kiki Maoate, and paediatric anaesthetist Dr David Linscott to travel to Tonga and perform the complex operation alongside the local surgical team.
The baby was born with a serious lung condition that caused ongoing respiratory distress from just two days after birth.
"Without a chest drain, the child was dependent on oxygen and was quite short of breath," said Dr Alamea Fulivai, General Surgeon at Vaiola Hospital. "The chest drain had to be reinserted multiple times, making this a very challenging case."
The risks of transferring the patient to New Zealand were significant.
"Transporting a child with a chest drain is high risk and would likely require an air ambulance, which can cost up to NZD$70,000, which doesn't include the cost of treatment and hospital fees in New Zealand.…more
South Auckland creative proposes Māori and Pacific-led digital arts pathway
A proposal for a Māori and Pacific-led creative pathway, beginning with a Digital Creators Academy, has been tabled in Manurewa as representatives consider how to address longstanding gaps in creative opportunities for youth.
Kennedy Kioa Toi Faimanifo, whose creative career includes work on Bro'Town, Kung Fu Panda, Game of Thrones and the Avatar films, presented his proposal for the academy to the Manurewa Local Board during Thursday's public forum.
Faimanifo said he was born and raised in Manurewa and had spent two decades working across animation, design, visual effects and tertiary education.
He told board members Māori and Pacific people remained significantly underrepresented in New Zealand's digital creative industries despite South Auckland being home to one of the country's largest Māori and Pacific populations.
"The challenge isn't talent. The challenge is disconnected pathways," he said.
His proposal, Te Whare Toi Matihiko (House of Digital Art), would create a Māori and Pacific-led creative pathway beginning with a pilot Digital Creators Academy.…more