Coco News

Samoan seasonal workers leave for employment in New Zealand this week

Over 700 Samoan Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme workers will depart for employment in New Zealand starting this week.

New Zealand has offered a total of 2000 employment opportunities for Pacific Island countries and workers will be ready to fly out of the country this month and all necessary preparations for the workers are well set before they depart.

Recruitment preparations includes orientation programmes to brief the workers on the regulations and work conditions, and to remind them that they represent the good image and reputation of Samoa in New Zealand.

The Prime Minister congratulated the bunch but weighed in more on the impression of Samoa while the RSE workers are employed overseas.

“Your attitude is your most important quality. When you are there, do not do anything stupid that it will have you sent back to Samoa and you may never get your chance to work on these opportunities again,” he said.…more


Entertainment

JAWSH 685 - Mini Masterclass with the Grammy Museum Experience

Join the Recording Academy, Grammy Museum Experience for a Q&A with hit producer and our very own Jawsh 685.  He talks having the right "mindset" and some of his favorite current music!

On the 4th March 22, the tracklist for the Gran Turismo 7 - 25th anniversary edition was revealed and it features a new track by Jawsh 685 featuring Rory Noble & song writing duo clicknpress aka Kaleb Rollins & Marc Soto.  The star-studded lineup of artists also includes Bring Me The Horizon, Major Lazer, Rosalía, Nothing but Thieves, Fanatix, Kim Dracula, London Grammar, Lous and the Yakuza, and Disciples. 

Check out the other features here.

Jawsh announced the collaboration on his instagram on Friday.

Listen to the full track here


Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder tweet this tribute video to Steven Adams

Steven Adams & his new team the New Orleans Pelicans played his old team, Oklahoma City Thunder on New Years Eve.

Before the teams played, OKC tweeted this tribute video to Adams showing he's still very respected and loved in Oklahoma

Steven Adams & the Pelicans went on to beat the Pelicans 113 - 80. 

Peep some moments of hilarity with him in the vid below 


Entertainment

DEITY Trailer

WARNING: This trailer contains “strong language” - Viewer discretion advised.

It's the final few weeks of school for the year 12 students of Mt Druitt high School & they just want to get through it off the radar.

With big dreams for the big world they are ready to switch classrooms with the hustle of young adulthood - well, that’s the goal anyway.

But something is not right in the corridors of Mt Druitt High & Jacob, a Sāmoan kid with the world against him can feel it.

Literally. Something is coming & whatever it is, its coming for the Pasifika kids of Mt Druitt High School.

DEITY is a nod to being young, brown & Pasifika in Australia & about celebrating the stories of West Sydney's Pasifika Community.

DEITY’s pilot episode premieres on January 4th @ 6pm AEST via the @pelesasapics Facebook page & youtube channel.

Follow, Like, Subscribe. 


Coco News

March against growing Youth Violence in Melbourne kicks off hopeful New Year

The rising number of youth violence incidents in Melbourne’s West has prompted members of the community to take action to voice their concerns.

 The ‘Youth Violence is not OK’ march will take place next Saturday, January 2nd at 10am and will begin from Tenterfield Park, Caroline Springs and end behind Sunshine Police Station in Brimbank. 

The march, which welcomes all, is being organised by the Samoa Community Advisory Council Victoria Incorporated (SCACVI) with support from the Victoria Police, local government councils and other notable community groups.

It urges people to march in solidarity in an effort to combat youth violence by raising awareness and helping to find solutions.

Incidents involving youth this month alone include a 15-year-old boy who was bashed and stomped on in Caroline Springs.  This week, five teenagers were arrested in Tarneit charged with assault, theft and robbery. Two of the arrested were out on bail.

Earlier this year Brimbank teenager Solomone Taufeulungaki was fatally stabbed by a youth gang while walking home from school.…more


Sports

JuJu Pays Off $25,000 of Layaway For Christmas!

Samoan NFL player Juju Smith-Schuster and the Juju foundation paid off over $25,000 worth of layaway gifts earlier this week for families in need.

JuJu and his family teamed up with Pay Away the Layaway volunteers and Burlington Stores in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Compton, California to pay off Christmas gifts and essential products for over 170 families in need.

“I am truly blessed to be able to give back to families in Pittsburgh and California during the holidays,” said Smith-Schuster, about the donation. “We hope paying off these layaway balances will cause a sense of relief and lift the spirit of all of these families.”

Especially during 2020, this donation is a huge weight lifted off the shoulders of people and families in need during a holiday season that has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, JuJu was able to help others and give a lot of people a reason to smile as the year is winding down.


Coco News

Ashneel & Benita // Indian-Samoan Wedding

The wedding of Ashneel & Benita.

Check out the beautiful wedding ceremonies held for Ashneel (Indian) and Benita (Samoan) - a celebration of marriage and a celebration of two cultures coming together

Video credit:  Canaan Ene


Entertainment

A1 Presents: The Producers Behind ONEFOUR

ONEFOUR is a breaking hip hop group from Mount Druitt, in Sydney, Australia.

Meet the producers Rick, i.amsolo, willstah and Khaled, who helped shape the sound and stories behind ONEFOUR's explosive debut EP 'Against All Odds'.

Listen to the EP in A1, Spotify Australia's flagship hip hop playlist, here: https://spoti.fi/A1HipHop


Coco News

How to help in the Pacific when they've been affected by a natural disaster

If you come from the Pacific, chances are you’ve lived through a cyclone, flood or other natural disaster.
If your family and community back home is affected by disaster, naturally, you’re going to want to help.

But what if the way you choose to help is doing more harm than good? Would you change the way you donate?

Our friends at Donate Responsibly.Org have come through with some helpful tips and suggestions on their website that they organised with the World Food Programme

.

We've got the information to share with your communities in English, Samoan, Fijian and Bislama.

Check them out below - 

ENGLISH 

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BISLAMA  

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FIJIAN

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SAMOAN


Pacific Blog

Samoa hard hit by climate change super cyclone - worst floods ever seen.

A mass clean up begins today in Samoa as the country gets back on its feet after extensive flooding just before Christmas. 

The severe flooding on Friday forced families to be moved into evacuation shelters as the country begins to count the cost of one of the worst floods in recent memory.  A gym in Tuanaimato set up by MNRE was also set up as an evacuation shelter. 

“This was the worst flooding we have ever seen in the history of Samoa” local resident Cecelia Keil says. “And so close to Christmas too. A lot of people have lost everything and nowhere to stay.  There's a family of 10 now living next door to us flooded out of their home at Faatoia. It’s the worst thing to happen to people already suffering from no income this year”

This morning a massive clean continues to be underway with off duty police and low risk prisoners working hard to clear damage.…more