275 Times. May 2015

Edition #8
May 2015
275 times
275
times
celebrating Māngere through sharing its stories
ANCIENT STORIES TO
INSPIRE CULTURAL PRIDE
A passion for Samoa’s ancient stories has led Helen Tau’au
Filisi to fulfil a long held dream to write and illustrate her
own children’s book.
O tala o Samoa mai le vavau, o se vaisu e fa'amomosi
ia Fa'alava'au Helen Tau'au Filisi. O le mafua'aga lea o
se fa'anaunauta'iga sa mo'omo'o ma moemiti i ai ina
ia tusiaina tala ma ata mo tamaiti.
But it’s been no easy task. The book, called Sina and the
Tuna, is the result of two Masters degrees, a number of
trips back to the islands and countless hours refining and
retouching the stories and illustrations for this dream to
become a reality.
E le'i faigofie lenei galuega. O le tusi ua fa'aigoaina o Sina
ma le Tuna, o se fa'amanuiaga lenei o le taunu'uga o tusi
pasi o Masters tikeri e lua. Sa tele ina femalaga'ai i Samoa
ma le tele o itula fa'aalu i le toe iloiloina ma va'ili'ili atili o
tala ma ata ina ia tino lenei fa'amoemoe.
As part of her first Masters degree, which was in
Geography, she compiled a number of ancient Samoan
stories or “tala o le vavau” whilst on a field trip to Savaii.
And it was during her second Masters in creative writing
that she began turning those stories into a book which has
now been translated by her husband Fritz into Samoan.
O le tusi pasi Master Tikeri muamua i le Geography
(si'osi'omaga), sa fa'amautuina ai le tele o nisi o tala
o le vavau a'o i ai i malaga fa'asu'esu'ega i Savai'i. O
le tusi pasi Master tikeri lona lua i le Creative Writing
(fa'ailoateleina o fatuga i mafaufauga ma manatu)
sa amata ai loa ona fa'amautuina nei tala i le tusi ua
fa'aliliuina e lona al'ii o Tofilau Fritz Filisi i le gagana
Samoa.
proud author: Helen Tau’au Filisi displays her book
Helen works at Te Wananga O Aotearoa in Mangere as the
Degree Learning Advisor and launched the book at the
campus on March 19.
O lo'o galue nei Helen o ia o le Degree Learning
Advisor(faufautua mo polokalame fa'atikeri) i le Te
Wananga O Aotearoa i Magele. O le nofoaga fo'i lea sa
tatala aloa'ia ai le tusi ile aso 19 o Mati.
She says that she hopes to reinforce to Samoans that they
have an unique heritage worth preserving.
Sa ia saunoa fo'i o lona fa'amoemoe ina ia toe
fa'amausaliina i tagata Samoa lona tofi ma
fa'apolopolo e matua taua tele ma ia puipuiina.
“Often New Zealand born or raised Samoans know
European fairy tales in great detail but few know their own
heritage stories and so these important ancient stories
reminds us of our point of difference.”
“O le tele o taimi e sili atu le silafia e Samoa sa
fananau i Niu Sila pe sa tutupu a'e fo'i i Niu Sila o tala
fa'afagogo mai Europa ae itiiti lava se iloa o latou lava
tala'aga fa'asolopito. O tala nei o le vavau o se pine
fa'amau e iloa ai lo tatou e'see'sega.”
Translation provided by Fritz Filisi
sina and the tuna: A story about the origins of the coconut.
To order your own copy of Sina and the Tuna email:
helentauaufilisi@gmail.com or visit her website:
www.helentauaufilisi.blogspot.com

2
Families at the heart of MEFSC's success
LIKE A FAMILY: The original staff members of the Mangere East Family Service Centre.
L-R Karen Matata, Poe Tuiasau, Kula Alapaki, Sue Stunzner, Peter Sykes, Phillina Kauri-Tumai.
Photo: Qiane Matata-Sipu
Twenty-one years.
That’s a special number for most
people growing up – but it’s even
more special if you’re the Mangere
East Family Service Centre. That's
because they've just celebrated the
21st anniversary since they began
as a little childcare centre at the
Mangere East Primary School hall. In
his address to the audience gathered
for the birthday celebrations, MEFSC
Growing gardens inspires children
By Justine Skilling - Waste Minimisation
Facilitator, MEFSC
The opening of Te Whakatupu
Kakano, the gardening aspect of
Barnardos’ Te Korowai Mokopuna
project, at their Mangere Early
Learning Centre last month was a
real family affair. Funded with a
$10,000 grant from the Auckland
Airport Trust, the project will see the
establishment of four gardens in
Centres around South Auckland, as
well as 40 home gardens for many
of the Centres’ families. Children,
parents, kaumatua, Centre staff and
invited locals gathered in the sunshine
for karakia, waiata and celebration of
the planting of the Mangere Centre’s
new raised beds. After some words of
encouragement and a blessing from
Barnardos kaumatua Bill Barlow, the
first sod in the new garden beds was
turned and then everyone got stuck
into planting the vegetables.
chairman Peter Cleland rightly pointed
out that the organisation has become
more than just a childcare centre and
now includes the Waste Minimisation
team, the Men's Shed, 275 Times
and social workers in almost every
Mangere primary school. Mr Cleland
also made special mention of chief
executive Peter Sykes.
“I want to especially acknowledge our
CEO who has selflessly given to the
Centre over the whole 21 years and
made us what we are.
“Peter has made us more than a team
- we are a family, the Mangere East
Service Centre family!”
Peter Sykes says all the programs
and services the Centre provides are
aimed at helping people reach their
potential "through participation".
"We aim to create space for people to
participate and be empowered, and
while we don't need to be the soleprovider
of that, we need to promote
that it is people's right to access that
space.
"We aim to be one of the main drivers
of inter-connectedness in Mangere.
"So once our neighbours know who
we are and respect us, then maybe
that's when we've done our job."
Mr Sykes says the ultimate goal is for
the future generations of Mangere to
experience holistic success.
"It's about whole growth, not just in
the dollar, and the measure of that
is that our great-great grandchildren
reap the benefit. The question that
drives me is - what is the legacy that
we will leave for our great-great
grandchildren?"
For more information go to:
https://www.facebook.com/MEFSC
READY TO PLANT: Children learning about gardening at the opening of Te Whakatupu Kakano
If you want to see your ad appear in our next issue or if you have a suggestion for a story email
us at: 275times@gmail.com

From fishing to frocks
3
CATCH OF THE DAY: Noelene Ramsey has swapped selling fish for
frocks and furniture at the Mangere Baptist’s Re-New Op Shop.
Much like the Apostle Peter,
Noelene Ramsey has given
up working on fishing boats
to become the rock for her
church’s op shop.
Noelene worked in Tonga
for 11 years fishing around
the coast and selling her
catch to the villages and local
markets.
But when family asked her to
return to New Zealand she
didn’t hesitate. And a place
that she started to regularly
visit was the Mangere Baptist
Op Shop.
“I started coming here as a
customer,” she says. As time
went on, Noelene went from
customer to shop assistant.
Firstly as a volunteer and
now currently as the day-today
manager.
Noelene says the best part
of working there is knowing
she’s part of something
bigger than just selling
clothes.
“My favourite part of
working at the shop is the
prayer time at the start
of the week and I also
enjoy meeting lots of new
people.
“The op shop offers really
cheap clothes, furniture
and other goods and
because we have a budget
service next door it’s
somewhere people can
come straight after they’ve
seen the budgeters.”
Noelene hopes the shop
will expand over time.
”It’d be nice to get a bit
bigger and maybe have
a lunchbar where people
can buy a pie or drink
too.“
The op shop recently
changed it’s name to
Re-New and extended
it’s opening hours from
11am – 4pm, Tue, Wed
and Thur. Corner of
Bader & Ashgrove Rd.
If you want to see your ad appear in our next issue or if you have a suggestion for a story email
us at: 275times@gmail.com

Community Notices
New Mangere East website
Check out the amazing new Mangere East Community Centre
website. It’s full of great photos, events, activities as well as an
awesome blog. Go to: http://www.mangereeast.org/
Free Theatre
Village Collective in association with Tala Pasifika present the 2015
season of SPARK. A theatre piece about superheroes, a new super
product, and a movement to SPARK change.
Venue: Mangere Arts Centre. Admission is FREE and showings are
on May 14 & 15; 7-8pm and 12.30-1.30pm.
Mangere’s libraries get musical
To celebreate New Zealand Music Month the Mangere Libraries
are all holding a variety of music related events to promote local
talent. There will be a musical storytime with Puna o le Atamai on
May 14 and 21, 10.30am - 11.15am at the Town Centre Library and
Ukulele workshops on May 13 and 14, 4pm - 5pm at the Mangere
East Library. Go to aucklandlibraries.govt.nz for more info.
Employment workshops
ARMS is holding free employment workshops for Pacific migrants.
Attendees will learn language skills, job searching techniques,
business culture insights, how to make a CV and interview tips.
Workshops are May 19, Friendship House and June 19, Mangere
Town Centre Library from 9.30am – 3pm. Call 625 2440 or email
reception@arms-mrc.org.nz to register.
Law In A Nutshell
The Mangere Community Law Centre's Law In A Nutshell starts up
again on May 6. Think about enrolling for the next 8 week course.
Call 2754310 for more information.
AC_BCXXXX_XX
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board
Community Volunteer Awards
We couldn’t do without you
The Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board is seeking your nominations, for volunteer people
or groups whose outstanding work is making a positive difference to our community.
These special people and groups will be officially thanked at the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu
Local Board Community Awards function.
For more information please contact Lana Roberts.
Address: Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board Office,
Shop 17, 93 Bader Drive, Māngere, Auckland 2022
Email: lana.roberts@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz
facebook.com/mangereotahuhu
Nominations close 5pm, 29 May 2015.
Find out more: phone 09 256 5133 or visit
aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/mangereotahuhu
NITTY GRITTY
Words: Justin Latif
Design: Jo Latif
Publisher: Mangere East Family Service Centre
e: 275times@gmail.com f: www.facebook.com/275times
w: www.275times.com