275 Times July 2017
Mangere community news. In this month's issue, read more about: matariki, Mangere's history, La Coco, young leaders at Bader Intermediate, Ihumatao, Tigi's guitar and the Love Zero Waste Awards.
Mangere community news. In this month's issue, read more about: matariki, Mangere's history, La Coco, young leaders at Bader Intermediate, Ihumatao, Tigi's guitar and the Love Zero Waste Awards.
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4<br />
Helen Tau’au Filisi<br />
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY<br />
Helen is a prolific local author<br />
and artist who has selfpublished<br />
11 books since 2015.<br />
She’s also a committed educator.<br />
For Samoan Language Week,<br />
Helen exhibited her work at the<br />
Māngere Arts Centre, and held<br />
workshops for local schools –<br />
gifting each school with a book.<br />
<strong>275</strong> <strong>Times</strong> spoke to her<br />
after the launch of her latest<br />
project: ‘Fale Samoa’.<br />
When did you decide to become<br />
an author, artist and educator?<br />
I went to Robertson Road<br />
School, Māngere Intermediate<br />
and Ngā Tapuwae College (now<br />
Southern Cross Campus).<br />
At primary school I loved painting<br />
and drawing. In high school I<br />
discovered that I enjoyed creative<br />
writing too. Plus, I loved to<br />
learn. It was something that my<br />
parents instilled in me: doing<br />
the best that I could to succeed<br />
in my education. No excuses.<br />
After I left university, I went into<br />
teaching. But I knew that there<br />
had to be more, and in 2015 I was<br />
inspired by another teacher to<br />
become a writer and illustrator.<br />
What motivated you to selfpublish<br />
books with Samoan/<br />
Pasifika themes?<br />
In the 1990s, while I was teaching<br />
English at a high school in Ōtara,<br />
I realised that there were very<br />
few stories about our experiences<br />
as Pacific peoples living in New<br />
Zealand. So I started writing,<br />
producing and directing plays for<br />
South Auckland high schools.<br />
My plays were informed by<br />
the ancient stories of Samoa.<br />
I’d learned about these stories<br />
in 1989, while researching for<br />
my first Masters degree.<br />
I also started incorporating what<br />
I’d learned into bilingual (English/<br />
Samoan) picture books. (My<br />
husband, Tofilau Fritz Filisi, is the<br />
fluent Samoan speaker in our family,<br />
so he does the translations.)<br />
This was particularly important<br />
for passing on the stories to our<br />
children and the next generations.<br />
What would you say to anyone<br />
wanting to follow a similar path?<br />
I’d encourage anyone interested<br />
in pursuing a dream in any field<br />
to learn the skills of the craft.<br />
Getting lots of experience in your<br />
chosen field will also help you<br />
learn what needs to be done to<br />
succeed. For example, teaching<br />
creative writing helped me<br />
understand themes, settings, and<br />
characterisation. It also encouraged<br />
me to write about things that were<br />
important to me and my culture.<br />
I’d especially encourage our youth to<br />
keep trying if you know that you have<br />
a talent and have been encouraged<br />
to pursue it. Success stories are<br />
about never giving up and pursuing<br />
those goals till you reach them.<br />
What have you done since<br />
achieving your goal?<br />
One of the values my parents<br />
taught me was about giving<br />
back to the community, so I<br />
often gift books to individuals<br />
or to schools where I speak.<br />
I also recently ran some free<br />
workshops for schools – not<br />
only to share my stories, but<br />
also to inspire students to go for<br />
their dreams – especially in the<br />
arts, storytelling and writing.<br />
It’s important that children see<br />
a variety of role models in our<br />
community to encourage them<br />
to strive for whatever they want<br />
to do when they become adults.<br />
And they need to know that<br />
the time to prepare is now!<br />
Helen’s books are sold at SAAB<br />
Sei Oriana, next to the ‘Fale o<br />
Samoa’ – corner Bader Drive<br />
and Mascot Ave, Māngere.<br />
Find out more about her work at<br />
www.helentauaufilisi.com<br />
or get in touch by email:<br />
helentauaufilisi@gmail.com<br />
whānau<br />
4 whānau<br />
Whānau4whānau, a<br />
parent-designed support<br />
programme is up and<br />
running at the Māngere<br />
East Community Centre.<br />
The group is for parents who<br />
have completed a parenting<br />
programme, and who now<br />
want to reach out and support<br />
each other to practice and<br />
build on their new skills.<br />
Parents already attending are<br />
enthusiastic about the programme:<br />
“I really like that it’s parents<br />
leading. And parents are planning<br />
how and who we get to come<br />
and tell us or show us about<br />
things we want to know – as<br />
well as working out what we<br />
can do ourselves”, says one.<br />
“Everyone supports one<br />
another in their progress and<br />
development – based on learning<br />
and life skills for them and their<br />
children”, explains another.<br />
Together, the group will explore<br />
opportunities in the community to:<br />
• y undertake further education<br />
– e.g. in te reo Māori,<br />
gagana Samoa, health<br />
and safety, korowai and<br />
tāniko, bee keeping, etc.<br />
• y develop skills to get into<br />
paid work – e.g. bridging<br />
courses, writing a CV, and<br />
practising job interviews.<br />
• y improve health and wellbeing<br />
for themselves and their whānau<br />
– e.g. cooking healthy meals,<br />
zumba, mindfulness, mirimiri<br />
and romiromi, mentoring other<br />
parents, or starting a garden.<br />
• y strengthen their relationships<br />
with their children and<br />
whānau whānui.<br />
Parents interested in joining<br />
Whānau4Whānau can contact<br />
Maia on 09 <strong>275</strong> 6161.