A campaign to tackle increased family violence in New Zealand’s Pacific communities during Covid-19 was launched today.

The Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu, initiative led by The Cause Collective, will see 1200 family violence workers and community advocates mobilised throughout the country to help Pacific communities prevent violence. The campaign also includes radio programmes in eight different languages and using online forums to raise awareness about where Pacific families can get help and support during this time for family violence.

Data from NZ Police shows that the number of family violence incidents has increased since the nation went into lockdown late last month.

“Pacific families are particularly vulnerable during the Coronavirus pandemic with Pacific peoples already being disproportionately represented in intimate partner violence and child abuse statistics,” says The Cause Collective CEO, Rachel Enosa.…more

Auckland Council Board Member Nick Bakulich has shared this info on Public Transportation once we move to Alert Level 3 - 

What to do when you travel on buses:

Cash purchases will not be accepted on board during Alert Level 3. You must use a HOP card.
You must use the rear door to get on and off buses.
Tag on and off using the HOP card reader inside the rear door.
If you use a wheelchair or mobility device or require driver assistance, you can still get on and off using the front door.
Customers will not be able to use the first row of seats behind the bus driver.
Please observe the signs on board which indicate two-metre distancing.
Once a bus is at capacity, drivers will only drop customers off.

Cleaning of public transport

The safety of our workers and customers is a priority, so we’re making sure all public transport is cleaned regularly. We’ve also stepped up our regime to include antimicrobial cleaning.…more

Samoan grandmother Christina Toleafoa, who is currently being treated for cancer, is like many in the community who is concerned with the threat of Covid-19.

But she has an extra reason to be worried because the crisis has affected her regular chemotherapy sessions. The extra precautions taken to minimise the spread of Covid-19 has meant her usual treatments are being postponed and her regular body scan, which tracks the progression of the cancer, is frequently delayed.

“It’s something that’s been on my mind since this all started. I’m very concerned,” she says.

The Ministry of Health has advised patients that they will continue to receive the same level of care nationwide during the Covid-19. But Christina says regular contact with her specialists have decreased and her consultations are now over the phone, as opposed to face-to-face.

Christina, whose mother died from breast cancer was officially diagnosed of the same condition herself in 2016 and her journey against cancer started with oral treatment.…more

“I’m not lonely but I am alone,” says JaeD Victor, describing what it’s like during the Covid-19 lockdown period while living alone.

The Samoan broadcaster has been living by himself for ten years so he’s use to having his own space. But he says the self-isolation period during the Covid-19 crisis has been different, mainly because his public movements are limited and he’s forced to work from home.

“I thought I was going to enjoy working from home but the unfortunate thing is when you’re home you have so many distractions. You stop work and go and have a nap or go into the kitchen. What I’ve come to realize under these circumstances is how self sufficient you become when you live by yourself.”

The 55-year-old has type 2 diabetes and knows the importance of the level 4 self isolation period. He says experiencing it alone can be challenging.

“I don’t have any visitors and because you live alone during these restrictions, you can sometimes feel your friends and family don’t realize you’re here.…more

For three Fijian youngsters - Zion, Israel and Jeda’iah - there’s been a silver lining during the Covid-19 lock down period - no school.

Although the response from the Pickering-Thakathaka siblings maybe typical for a child, they are all aware of the importance of the actions taken by the New Zealand Government.

“We understand why this is happening,” says 12-year-old Israel “It’s to keep us safe and to stop us from getting the disease and stop others from spreading it.”

The siblings live in a three-bedroom Auckland home with their 11-month-old brother, their parents, an Aunt and their grandmother. The last four weeks have been a routine of prayer, home schooling and daily chores. They’ve even managed to paint a fence and tidy up their grandmother’s garden. Their situation is similar to many other Pacific children who share a home with their extended family. The siblings say they only need to look at their little brother and their grandmother to fully understand the people they’re trying to protect.

“I do feel frustrated at times,” says 15-year-old Zion.…more