Aged 18 when she arrived from Tonga with her father, Folola had come for a “better future”.
For her, living in New Zealand is very different to living in Tonga with a much more diverse population, lack of security over housing and almost everything costing a lot of money. A friendly smile or a hello makes a huge difference to her everyday life here and, despite many challenges with language, work and money, she says New Zealand has much to offer, especially if you get a good education.
Folola says, “Don’t give up on your dream and what you believe – go for it! Whatever opportunity NZ offers you, don’t let it pass. Grab it with two hands and go for it!”.
