Coco Talanoa — Podcast / Page 4

Drew Afualo is a juggernaut with a following of millions, drawn into her clapback crusades against misogyny and sexism. Little is known about who the 26-year-old Samoan was before online acclaim, until now.

Drew opens up with journalist Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, about fighting for Pacific Island representation in the media industry. She also spills on Coachella, why the NFL is close to her heart, and her next career moves.

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Interviewer: Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

Editor: Sefa Taouma

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Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air.

(Disclaimer: This episode may not be appropriate for younger audiences. Contains explicit topics)

In this episode of Akanuanua our host Doran sits down today with the longtime Queer advocate Geoff Ruaine. They talk about living with HIV, sex work, grinder and much more! 

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This podcast touches on HIV and the misconceptions around it. It is important to be well informed with the right infomation to understand HIV and AIDS. Information like the following; 

HIV and AIDS are not the same thing. HIV is the virus that when left untreated, can lead to AIDS. However, in 2022, treatment for HIV has advanced to the point where people living with HIV can live happy, healthy lives without fear of passing on the virus to their partners.

Part of having healthy and enjoyable relationships is getting tested for HIV and STIs regularly. Knowing your status is important. You can stay informed and healthy by getting tested for HIV and STIs every six months.

You can now test from the privacy of your own home with an HIV self-test kit.…more

Welcome to the Akanuanua Podcast! A space to unpack what its like being a part of the ever-evolving MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community.

The Talanoa is guided by our host, Doron Semu. He is an ‘afakasi Samoan siapo maker, acupuncturist and community advocate raised in Tamaki Makaurau,  Aotearoa. His most recent interview with Tagata Pasifika on conversion therapy has  opened conversations within the pasifika  religious community about the treatment  of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been  a guest on podcasts such as ‘A thoughtful  faith’ and ‘Malaga’. Over summer, he held  community workshops with support with  from Rainbow Youth for the queer Pasifika  and Maori community.  

In this episode of Akanuanua our host Doran sits down today with Bianca Hope Dawson Puia.

She is a trans woman who, with the support of her family, is undertaking gender-affirming surgery. While at High School, Bianca challenged her school and principal by working with her local MP to allow her and other gender diverse students to wear the school uniform that best reflects their identity. Bianca is breathtaking, bold and brave.…more

Welcome to the Akanuanua Podcast! A space to unpack what its like being a part of the ever-evolving MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community.

The Talanoa is guided by our host, Doron Semu. He is an ‘afakasi Samoan siapo maker, acupuncturist and community advocate raised in Tamaki Makaurau,  Aotearoa. His most recent interview with Tagata Pasifika on conversion therapy has  opened conversations within the pasifika  religious community about the treatment  of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been  a guest on podcasts such as ‘A thoughtful  faith’ and ‘Malaga’. Over summer, he held  community workshops with support with  from Rainbow Youth for the queer Pasifika  and Maori community.  

In this episode Kitty Wasasala speaks to her longtime friend Doron about her life experiences as a Queer person, her relatioship with Karangahape Road and more.

Kitty is a Lesbian actor, activist, florist, and freelancer. Kitty does works with the Auckland Central Greens and is actively trying to make political spaces Rainbow and POC friendly, as historically, there hasn’t been space for our communities.…more

Inside the Grind host Serafina Maulupe caught up with Hollywood actor and award winning stuntman, Tanoa'i Reed last year while he was shooting 'Red Notice' with Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot & Ryan Reynolds.

Tanoa'i resides in Honolulu, Hawaii and is of Samoan heritage.  He is the cousin and stunt double of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson!

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A few days ago, he started his tatau journey with renowned tufuga/tattooist Li'aifaiva Levi and has been sharing clips of his journey on his Instagram and Facebook pages.

He has been supported by many friends and family along the way and yesterday the Common Kings boys came through in support, performing songs and music.

Welcome to the Akanuanua Podcast! A space to unpack what its like being a part of the ever-evolving MVPFAFF Queer Pasifika community.

The Talanoa is guided by our host, Doron Semu. He is an ‘afakasi Samoan siapo maker, acupuncturist and community advocate raised in Tamaki Makaurau,  Aotearoa. His most recent interview with  Tagata Pasifika on conversion therapy has  opened conversations within the pasifika  religious community about the treatment  of the LGBTQIA+ community. He has been  a guest on podcasts such as ‘A thoughtful  faith’ and ‘Malaga’. Over summer, he held  community workshops with support with  from Rainbow Youth for the queer Pasifika  and Maori community.  

In this episode Katrina Malisha Aho speaks to Doron about her life story, from being a Fakaleitī to her relationship with God. 

Katrina Malisha Aho also known as Hurricane Katrina by her fellow Divas, is a young, brown, trans registered nurse strutting the wards of Auckland City Hospital. Before this, she attended De La Salle College and for all of her years there was part of the school’s legendary fa’afafine collective ‘The Divas’.…more

"The documentary is pretty much about my lifes journey up until this point, about adversity, overcoming adversity and about life in general as a Pacific Islander & New Zealander growing up in South Auckland.  

Coming from a troubled past, probably similar to a lot of kids in that age and era in South Auckland - the repercussions of it all, you don't realise you're not normal until you meet someone who's normal, you don't realise how bad you are until you meet someone who's normal and cares about you" - Mark Hunt 

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Legendary K1, Pride & UFC fighter Mark "Super Samoan" Hunt joins us to talk about his new feature length documentary which is out now in both New Zealand and Australia in select cinemas.

He talks about how sharing his story through both his book and the doco has been therapeutic, the financial and emotional toll the lawsuit against the UFC has taken on his life, life after professional sports, his advice to up & coming fighters and much more.…more

"I think it should be celebrated, I think that to be able to play at the top shouldn't just be for people who have to put their families on hold, it should be supported and encouraged and if you can't come back then at least you tried, but for too long it's been "Don't have babies, because you won't be able to come back" 

 ... ... that's not been said, it's been implied ... in the last few years we've seen so many Mums come back to netball, especially at the top level and it's really cool to see.  Not that they should get pregnant early, but they don't have to put off having families if that's what they want to succeed in first" 

We catch up with former Silver Fern Cathrine Tuivaiti about being a Mum of two boys, living in Italy with her husband Jimmy during the Covid-19 pandemic, making her comeback to professional sports after having two children and much more.…more

"Growing up there was always that stigma that we didn't really talk about our feelings, we weren't as open and ...…more

* Trigger warning:  This video contains discussions about mental health issues & suicide. Viewer discretion and parental guidance is advised.

"I guess it's the side of me that no-one really sees - they just see the big, tough guy who goes out on the footy field and does his best work out there but making people aware of this (mental health/suicide), it's a massive problem for our Pasifika people, our maori, our indigenous ... it's an eye opener and for our people, it's what inspired me to do this app" - Andrew Fifita 

We catch up with NRL & Tongan rugby league star Andrew Fifita who has co-founded & helped develop an app which he hopes can help break the stigma around mental health.

He shares why he's passionate about helping others through sharing his own mental health journey and how he was inspired to create the app.

CROO is a safe and secure app that monitors a person’s mental wellness and notifies trusted family and friends (their ‘croo’) when their ‘wellness signal’ appears vulnerable.…more