ORDINARY TONGAN LIVES - Fungamisi, Vava'u, Tonga

Story collated and written by Haitelenisia Afemui ‘Uhila Angilau for her 'Ordinary Tongan Lives' facebook page

“I’m number 6 of 9 children; 5 girls and 4 boys. All the girls are older so when we came along, we all became girls.

I love working at home. Once I’m up in the morning, I make homemade ice-blocks to sell. That gets me about $30 daily. After that, I clean our house, then I’ll cook for the family. In the evening, I feed the pigs then I weave at night.

On Fridays, I make curry and canteen food to sell at Vava’u High. That’s about $400 weekly. I can also choose to go to the bush, fāngota at sea, or fulfill my duties to our Catholic youth as a spiritual leader. Not that I look spiritual or anything but I have that responsibility. I’m also like a town officer because I know everything in the community and I’m involved in all of them.

Working is something I’m used to in the family. I grew up working alongside my grandfather Pafilio. He hates it when you’re slacking or lazy. It was his work ethics that made a huge difference in me.

He owned a fishing boat and he hired fishermen so we worked at sea all the time every day. Then he planted vanilla, started a bakery, ran two shops, rented out accommodations, and took care of so many properties and businesses. But he’ll still go to his own shop and buy his bread and  butter. He’ll still go fishing himself, and he still mows the lawn for all his properties. He didn’t come from a wealthy family but as the only boy, he worked hard to be where he is. And yet, he doesn’t sit comfortably. He still drives everywhere and goes to the bush.

That’s the kind of life I was raised in. It planted in us a love for good, honest, hard work. Some people claim there’s no life for them here in Vava’u or in our islands.

I think you don’t have a life when you don’t work and search for it. There are so many things we can do here. When young people complain that we’re lacking in employment opportunities, I think what they’re really saying is that they’re embarrassed to do small jobs like helping at the Chinese shop or selling food at the market. They’d rather just sit in an office and not get their hands dirty. But at the end of the day, it’s the same kind of money we’re all working for.” - Fungamisi, Vava’u, Tonga