Vao | Panmure
“I feel inspired every day of my life, I’m still alive.
When I wake up in the morning I feel inspired with everything around me, the environment, and I have my kids with me and my husband and families, and the community. I like involvement in community work, like I volunteer in Panmure, because I like to talk more to people, and connect with them. A few years ago I used to study together with some people, that are let’s say vulnerable, people that school won’t take. I used to work, having courses, with students, and I just like to encourage people, young ones, to go back to school, to have a life later on, to fall back on. It’s just something in me, I just like connection with different people in Auckland, and that’s the reasons why I like diversity in Auckland, because I can connected with other people and learn from them.
I grew up in Tonga, and I came to New Zealand when I was 21, because of the values. I grew up in a very tight close family, in a family of six, so sharing and stuff like that. You should always help each other is something that I’ve grown up with, around me all the time. That’s how I got that value, right from the beginning of my life. It’s a part of who I am, and the other thing is, I think because I’ve been growing up in a big family, and we always have to help each other all the time.
For the next generation, yes, I have six kids, and I have great grandkids. I hope in the future that they do the same thing; help each other in the community, contribute to them. At the same time you have to love yourself first, before you can love others. That’s my belief and hope that they have better education in the future, and go in the right path.
Honestly, every day. What I do, I wake up in the morning, and I always like look outside, because I like working with plants and just looking at them green and growing, it inspires me every day, and how people react to others, and my family keep me alive every day.”
