Hoko | Ōtara, Auckland

“I tausaga ua mavae sa a‘oa‘oina ai a‘u i le iunivesite i Aukilani, peita‘i sa iai fa‘afitauli sa le mafai ai ona fa‘ataunu‘uina fa‘amoemoe, ma lē uma ai le taumafai ona o le fia faigaluega e fesoasoani i ‘āiga.

O le taimi la lenei pei ua ou toe mafaufau ai, ana iloa lava e fa‘a‘uma pea ia pepa na fai i le iunivesite. Ia ae ui i lea ia, o le mea tāua lava iā a‘u, ia iai se fa’amāmā avega i si o matou aiga. Ia ‘aua ne’i ola fālōlō le matou ‘āiga, ae ia maua le fiafia ma le manuia. Ina ua ou mālōlō mai i le ā‘oga, na amata ai loa ona ou faigaluega i le faletusi i Aukilani, mai le tausaga 2014 e aulia mai le tausaga nei 2021. O se galuega ou te fiafia tele iai, ona e tele ia alagā‘oa, ma mea e fa’atinoina ai. E tele fo‘i o aso e fesoasoani ai i tagata Pasifika o lo’o asiasi mai totonu ma mana‘omia le fesoasoani. Tele fo‘i o taimi e mana‘omia ai le fesoasoani i le fa‘aliliuina o mea mai le gagana Peretania i le fa’asamoa. O le tele lenā o la‘u galuega o lo’o faia nei i le faletusi, o se galuega ou te fiafia tele iai.

Na ou fanau i le falema’i tele o Moto‘otua i Apia i le tausaga e 1992. Na ou ‘āoga i Samoa mai le tausaga 1 e aga’i i le tausaga 5, matou malaga mai ai loa ma nai o’u matua i le tausaga e 2002 i Niu Sila ona o le fia saili manuia i atunu‘u i fafo. La mai le tausaga 2002 se‘ia oo mai i le tausaga nei, o lo’o matou nonofo ai nei i totonu o Otara. It’s our home, so yeah.

Translated

I went to Auckland University a few years ago, however, there were many challenges that prevented me from completing my studies and achieving my goal, because I wanted to work to help support my family. So this time, thinking back, I wish I had completed my papers at university. Nevertheless, the most important thing to me was to lessen the load on my family. So that they are self-sufficient and live a healthy and happy life. When I took a break from studying, I started working for a library in Auckland from 2014 until this year, 2021. I love this job as there are a lot of resources for help and things to support the work we do. Most days we help Pasifika people who visit and come in seeking help. A lot of the time they need help with translation of stuff from English into Samoan. That is what I spend most of my time doing in the library, and I enjoy working on it.

I was born in 1992 at the main hospital Moto‘otua in Apia. I was educated in Samoa from year 1 to year 5 before we moved to New Zealand in 2002 for a better future overseas. So from 2002 until now, we are still living in Otara. It’s our home, so yeah.”