Sesilani Ofa

Proud Mum and One of Only a Few Tongan Police Officers

Tonga 

Q & A with Constable Sesilani Ofa

Coco blogger Aaron Taouma met up with Constable Sesilani Ofa who was the first full Tongan female police officer to serve in Auckland and one of the few Tongans in the NZ Police. She has been based at the Otahuhu Police Station for the past eight years and doing it all as a solo-mum.

We think she's a star! Check out her Question and Answer session below and find out about her inspiring story as one of our ‘Humans of the Islands’...

Q. Malo e lelei Sesilani, can you tell us a little about your life growing up and how this may have influenced you joining the Police Force?

A. I was quite fortunate to grow up in a lovely Christian family in Grey Lynn. My father was a reverend at the United Church of Tonga. My dad came from Tonga when he was about 11 or 12 where he attended Epsom Normal Intermediate then on to Auckland Boys Grammar.…more

The Pacific Fusion Fashion Show went off in South Auckland and Coconet.TV caught the action.

Held at the Andrew-Simms Botany car dealership, the fashion design competition featured a mix of emerging and established designers showcasing street wear, evening wear, haute couture and ready to wear fashion.

Besides being a designer's competition and having several non-comp showings the event was a platform for models to face off strut their stuff for a place as the Face of Fusion 2017.

The night was hosted by Latafale Auva'a (previous Miss Samoa NZ, Miss Samoa, Miss Pacific Islands and Miss World Samoa) and judged by international guest judge Lepou Peni of Lepou and Grace; social media sensation Kris Fox; and NZ Fashion Week co-owner Anna Hood.

It was an awesome night with several celebs in attendance and the man of the Olympic hour - Pita Taufatofua - also making his catwalk debut.…more

Carlos Ulberg recently returned from the WKG - World Kings Glory MMA tournament held in China where he had his first professional bout and came out on top.

We caught up with Carlos at the Pacific Fusion Fashion Show held in Auckland.

Check out Carlos' story on The Coconet TV.

We caught up with Pita Taufatofua at the Pacific Fusion Fashion Show held in Auckland and asked him some quick questions. Hear what he had to say.

Meet Ko Pali'i Guams traditional healer ...

In 2002 Disney gave us 'Lilo & Stitch' a story about a little Hawaiian girl & an alien creature - they used a choir from Auckland for the music.  Pasifika Voices choir director and the Head of Performing Arts at the USP Oceania Centre in Suva, Igelese Ete told them it wasn't really Pacific.

Last year, at his own expense he travelled to Los Angeles to leave a personal message at Disney studios saying “that they cannot produce a movie about the Pacific and not include voices of the Pacific”

Disney to their credit took notice of Ete's message and their team flew to Fiji a few weeks ago to hear the Pasifika Voices choir hoping they'd find music that would capture the Pacifics heart, soul and musical essence.  They weren't expecting much as they hadn't had experience with talent in the Pacific but they were totally wowed after hearing the 20 young singers from Fiji and the Solomon Islands who make up Igelese's choir.…more

Meet emerging Fashion Artist Priscilla Ale of 'E'vana Couture' who lives in Sydney, Australia, is of Samoan Heritage and born in Auckland, New Zealand. 

She has had a dedicated spark for her Polynesian background, establishing a Polynesian Dance Company in 2011 teaching children the art of Hawaiian and Samoan Dance, designing and sewing the uniforms for her students.

As her creativity with handcrafted uniforms and accessorising progressed she recognised her Art in Pacific Fashion and decided to take a break with Polynesian Dance to explore her Creativity in Design and Fashion.  She studied at the Professional Fashion Design with Sydney's LaMode College. 

In FEB 2016 E'vana Couture featured in "Fashions Finest" Londons World Fashion Magazine and walked the Runway for the London Pacific Fashion Collective. Shes Been A Judge at Sydneys Biggest Multicultural School Festival, PacFest 2016 and was honoured to sit as a Special Judge for the Miss Samoa NSW 2016.…more

KRIT & LANCE SAVALI 

Krit catches up with hip hop dancer Lance Savali in Jersey City before he hits the Madison Square Garden stage with Rihanna at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Suggested Links:

Krit & the Iron Squad 

Humans of the Islands - Kristian Fanene Schmidt 

Deirdre Victoria Felicity Corbett 

Model/Student

Tongan/Kiwi 

 filed by Aaron Taouma

Sixteen-year-old Tongan-Kiwi (actually dad's an Aussie) Deirdre Corbett never thought she would be part of a beauty pageant let alone be representing Tonga at an international event in Mongolia.

But that’s exactly where she is heading for two weeks at the end of September to take on a field of 60 participants from around the world at the Miss Face of Beauty International 2016. And, she will be going alone.

“This will be my second time going overseas. I was about 2 when I went to Australia but I don’t remember anything. I'll also be going alone as in my family won't be coming to Mongolia with me which will be scary but exciting at the same time"

Deirdre was always into sports, playing volleyball, netball and soccer but when her mum pointed out the opportunity to enter the Miss Teen NZ beauty pageant earlier in the year, she went for it.

“Yeah, I used to play sports everyday.…more