Sione Taueli Tonga the latest recipient of Pasifika Future Leader Award ^Featured

From Tonga, he moved to New Zealand with his four sisters and a brother when he was 19.

While his parents followed a year later, the siblings lived with their grandparents in Onehunga. He studied at Penrose High School, and worked a full-time job at Kiwi Donuts. However, he dropped out before the final exam, explaining: "I knew I would fail because I had no time to study."

His tough financial situation forced him to do odd jobs.

"I worked various jobs on minimum wages, with no qualification."

He moved to Pukekohe and "worked on an onion farm for three years" to help his sisters get an education. His next job was at a plastic company in Auckland where he worked for four years.

One day he received a call from his former boss who got him an interview at Stratex NZ, a packaging firm.

"I worked hard and they offered me an apprenticeship in printing."

He completed it, and three years later is a senior printer having won the Print Apprentice of the Year earlier this year.

"These awards have changed my life. I've gone from struggling to get a job to getting job offers from all over New Zealand."

While growing up, "my parents were my role models, especially my mother. She has no qualification yet she worked hard and did any job to provide for us".

Today, Tonga is 33, married with three children, and lives in Otara.

"Fatherhood has taught me to appreciate my parents more. It's not easy, it is hard work."

He is on his way to starting his own t-shirt printing company.

During his time off work, he loves, "singing and is part of the church choir".

He has a word of advice to kids: "I'm from Otara, and it's hard here in south Auckland but through hard work and determination you can make it anywhere. Believe in yourself."

- Stuff