"God and Tonga are my inheritance": Tongan migrants find 'second home' in Marlborough ^Featured

It means 'God and Tonga are my inheritance', and for migrants like Foliaki and her friend Vika Pahulu the saying goes deeper than words, it is a reminder of their identity.

"That's the thing that's always in the heart of every Tongan, especially when we're in a foreign country, it helps us remember we are not alone," Foliaki says.

Both women are dressed head-to-toe in black, in mourning for the Queen Mother of Tonga, Halaevalu Mata'ahohe, whose funeral took place in Tonga on Wednesday.

Foliaki has not been back to her homeland since she arrived in New Zealand in 2004, in search of a better education for her then 1-year-old son.

But maintaining ties with her family back home, making sure her children can speak the language, and preserving their cultural identity is incredibly important, she says.

Pahulu arrived in Blenheim in 2009, with her husband Loleni and their 10 children. Like Foliaki she says settling in was difficult at first, but Blenheim has since become a second home.

Learning English, getting used to the different food - Foliaki says she misses fresh coconuts - and adapting to the freezing Marlborough winters have all been challenges.

So has the change in pace. Pahulu says New Zealanders put far more more focus on money and time than back in Tonga, something that came as a shock when she moved here.

"Everything is different, in terms of the lifestyle, money, food, the language - we have to work hard to put food on the table," Pahulu says.

What helped was support from the Marlborough Migrant Centre, along with the Marlborough Pacific Trust, which helped make the transition for both families that much smoother.

"They make us feel we're coming from home to another home - they've helped us to adapt here in Blenheim by encouraging us to step out of our comfort zone," Foliaki says.

Connecting with other migrant families through the centre has given them an opportunity to share their experiences, make new friends, and help welcome others to the community.

Now Foliaki and Pahulu, who both have children born in Marlborough, are happy to give back - to help other migrant families settle in the place they have chosen to make their home.

"If we didn't feel welcome we wouldn't have lived here long, because you want to be somewhere you feel comfortable and safe," Foliaki says.

"There's no place like Tonga, but Marlborough is like a second home for us - it is a second home."

- The Marlborough Express