With my parents migrating here to New Zealand from the Kingdom of Tonga 35 years ago, I was born and raised in the heart of Auckland city as a first generation New Zealander. I hail from the villages of Leimatu’a, Longomapu and Taoa on the outer island of Vava’u. Growing up, my parents instilled strong cultural and spiritual values in me which include humility, service, and ‘Ofa (Love). From these values sprouted my desire to serve and give back to the Pasifika community in whatever way that may look like.
I graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Sociology and Social Sciences in Public Health. There, I found my passion for health promotion and Pacific health and, since then, it has continued to grow. Before working here at the MHF, I served three years working for the ADHB over at Greenlane Clinic Centre for the ophthalmology department where I gained my basic admin skills. I am blessed to be with the MHF as it gives me an opportunity to grow my knowledge and skills in something I have a passion for.
Besides work, some of the things I enjoy doing is spending time with my family, road trips and watching international TV series. I also spend a lot of my time helping with family events and dabbling in Tongan traditional rituals.