Tala left Samoa in 1950 and is now 90 years old, having resided in New Zealand for 70 years. She has been a trailblazer in the Pacific community.

Samoan

"E leai se nofoaga e tutusa ma lou aiga​."

Na tu'ua e Tala Samoa i le Tausaga e 1950. Ua 90 tausaga le matua o lona soifua ma ua 70 tausaga talu ona aumau i Niu Sila. O se tagata e sogasogā ma sa'ili mālō mo le Pasefika. Sa galue faafaipule i le Puleganu'u a Ueligitone, na avea fo'i ma sui o le Norman Kirk Trust ma o ia fo'i sa taulamua i le faavaega o le PACIFICA, o se faalapotopotoga na ta'ita'ia le itupā o tama'ita'i Pasefika e fesoasoani mo latou lava. O le faamuamua a Tala ina ia fesoasoani mo tagata Pasefika.

Sa a'oa'oina Tala i le a'oga a Taupousā i Samoa ma na galue faa-shorthand typist ma le book-keeping i se ofisa Loia sa i Samoa i na taimi. Sa malaga mamao mai i le vasa mo Niu Sila i le va'a o le MV Mātua ma na ui mai i Tonga, Fiti, faato'ā taunu'u mai lea i Lyttleton. (O le MV Mātua sa iloa e Niu Sila ma le atu Pasefika o le "banana boat - va'a fa'i")

Ina ua taunu'u mai i Niu Sila sa ia matuā maofa i lana vaaiga. I le faagasologa o lona iai i Niu Sila sa taunu'u ai i Ueligitone ma ia galue ai i ni galuega e iai le book-keeping ma le shorthand typing i le Social Security Services ma le faleoloa se'evae o Hannah.

Ina ua mavae nai taimi na nofo ai i Ueligitone, sa fai ai loa lana faai'uga ina ia faalelei lana gagana Igilisi ma na fai ai loa ma ana a'oga pō i le Wellington High School.

Sa faaipoipo Tala i le 1957 ma e to'a lua o la alo ma le to'a tolu na vaetama mai Samoa. Sa tatala lana faleoloa i le 1970 e faatau ai oloa ma mea taulima mai Samoa. E lē faagaloina e Tala, Samoa, ma e talanoa so'o lava faapea: "E leai se nofoaga e pei o lou aiga".

Sa faae'e iā Tala le suafa matai o Namulau'ulu

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English

Tala left Samoa in 1950. She is 90 years old, having resided in New Zealand for 70 years. She has been a trailblazer in the Pacific community: a former Wellington City Councillor, and trustee of the Norman Kirk Trust she was one of the pioneers of PACIFICA, an organisation run by Pacific Island women which assists Pacific women. Tala's passion has always been helping Pacific people.

Tala was originally educated at a Nuns' school in Samoa, and worked as a shorthand typist and book-keeper at the only law firm in Samoa at that time…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details