Letter from Tokelau - change your world

When Rotorua teacher Vanessa Te Huia and husband Matangaro Vili signed up with VSA to go to Tokelau, they had no idea just how incredible the experience would be.

From the moment we stood on Fakaofo atoll after a 24-hour boat ride on the MV Tokelau we knew this was going to be an experience of a lifetime. The ocean and lagoon surrounding Fakaofo has all shades of blue, and the sky and air are free of pollution.
The small size of the atoll was overwhelming at first, and the fact that my husband* and I walked the entire island in five minutes added to the feeling of isolation.
A population of approximately 400 people allows you to really get to know your neighbours! Even after being fully briefed by VSA on expectations and procedures on our country assignment, it is not until you arrive that you can start to prepare for the next few years.

The biggest learning that has taken place so far is my personal perspective on education and life in general. Coming from a class of 34 students in an amazing digital classroom at Rotorua Intermediate to a classroom of 10 students with a blackboard could be seen as challenging for some.
However, I chose to look at this as an exciting time to create learning opportunities that reach beyond the classroom with a meaningful context for the students as well as myself. So whether the classroom is lush with resources, or bare, the universal component is students - and they will go as far as you take them.

A usual school day will start at 6am as the village people are up cleaning and sweeping around their area. Then off to the school boat at 7.15. We leave around 7.30 and get to school at 8. School assemblies ... form class out of the way, and straight into teaching five periods at the high school finishing at 2.20 (the primary school finishing at 1.20). The sun is now at its hottest as we all clamber back onto the school boat to go home.

Whilst I am at work my husband is working in the local aumaga which comprises of three groups of different men assigned different roles in the community. One day he could be out fishing – which he doesn’t mind at all – or he could be helping unload the boats, or working on the maintenance of buildings, which is very lucky as he is a builder by trade.

No two days are ever the same here with village meetings and celebrations occurring regularly and the weather dictating whether the school boat can travel at all. One of the most refreshing things here is that surprises are always around the corner and you have to go with the flow. This is a complete 360 degree turn from due dates, observations, reporting and the daily grind back in New Zealand.
One of the greatest aspects of our profession is being able to take our degree and experience around the world. Through VSA I am making my difference on a small atoll in the South Pacific. My role as a Primary Teacher Trainer has morphed into many different responsibilities within the community, from teaching the Macarena at a social gathering in the community hall, to having young enterprise business studies with the secondary Year 10 social science class.

Also, I have just returned from Atafu, a nearby atoll, after participating in the annual sports youth tournament. As captain there was a lot of pressure not only to do well but to bring back the cup which had been held by Atafu for a very long time. Luckily we were successful and the fear of being banished from the island disappeared as we were warmly welcomed with an amazing village party.
The village lifestyle, which is very traditional and religious, epitomises “love thy neighbour”, and this is very apparent with the inati system that caters for all -  the men of the village go fishing in the sea or lagoon and will haul in a big catch and divide this evenly throughout the village.
 If you need anything all you need to do is pop your head out of the window and ask. This is an amazing culture and you can truly value what really is important: not what you wear, what you drive or how much money you have in the bank. The imprint you leave with others outlasts all material objects. Cliche I know.

Sunday provides an opportunity for rest. This is not an understatement. After making Sunday lunch, where you all share meals with close friends and family and in return they bring you what they have cooked, all that is left for the day is church and rest. That means no housework, no TV and no walking around while the church service is on. Consequently we really enjoy our Sundays.
Making adjustments to a new country comes with its own challenges: making new friends, learning the language, understanding village life, a different government system, religious expectations and of course new foods -  however this is half of the adventure.
So I better get back to work. As I look out of my class window the view from Tialeniu School, it is amazing and to think I work here!

* Matangaro is half Tokelau Islander and half Cook Islander, but had never been to Tokelau. He and Vanessa are now on the atoll where his father was born. He was brought up in Rotorua.

About Volunteer Service Abroad

VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad) is a home-grown Kiwi volunteering
organisation and has placed more than 3000 skilled New Zealanders on
volunteer assignments overseas since 1962.

• VSA is New Zealand’s largest and most experienced overseas
  volunteer-sending agency.
• It works with people in the Pacific, Asia and Africa, adding the
  skills and energy of New Zealanders to strengthen communities striving
  for change.
• All VSA’s assignments are locally identified, locally relevant,
  and locally delivered.
• VSA is an independent charity and is non-governmental,
  non-religious and non-political.
• VSA recruits ordinary New Zealanders to achieve exceptional work
  with our partner organisations.
• For more information go to www.vsa.org.nz