HEALTHY SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2020 TOGETHER FEELING BETTER: The Tongan community have been becoming healthier by participating in a challenge initiated by Gisborne nurse Mele Fonua Veituna. Picture by Liam Clayton. Nurse Mele Fonua Veituna decided to create a challenge for Pasifi ka people to improve their health. Reporter Matai O’Connor went along for a walk up Kaiti Hill the other day to see what it’s all about. ncouraging people to work out and medical ward at Gisborne Hospital. days and post videos of themselves to prove Once that challenge ended, people asked eat healthily can be a challenge, e health issues motivated her to create a they actually did the work. Mele, “well, what’s next?” Ebut a Gisborne nurse has used her challenge for Pacifi c Island communities to “One of the fathers was 66 years old. It was “ at’s when I decided to carry on and intiative to help over 40 Pasifi ka become healthier. absolutely amazing he was doing it every turn this into a weight loss, healthy eating families turn their lives around. It started in May when New Zealand day,” she said. challenge,” Mele said. Ministry of Health statistics state that in moved down from Alert Level 4 to 3. Her father died of heart failure, which At the end of May, 26 Tongan people the year July 2018 to June 2019, 87 percent May is special for the Tongan community motivated her to do something to remember signed up to be part of the fi rst round of of the Pacifi c community were overweight or — the fi rst Sunday of the month is a him for fathers day and hopefully help the six-week Healthy Challenge, or as it is in obese. celebration for children, the second Sunday is people become healthier. Tongan, “Pole ki he mo’ui lelei”. ey were Pasifi ka people also have the highest mothers’ day and the third Sunday is fathers’ ere was a prize for the winner of that asked to register with $20 to help pay for the percentage of diabetes out of all ethnicities day. fi rst challenge, but Mele said it was too hard prizes and any other costs involved. — 11.2 percent have diabetes, and 14.6 ey couldn’t go to church to celebrate to fi gure out who to give it to so she decided ree months on, participants are in their percent have type 2 diabetes. as they would have normally, and so Mele to put it to a vote. But that turned out to third round of six weeks, and into their third Nurse Mele Fonua Veituna sees the real life thought about creating a Facebook challenge. be too hard to decide too, so everyone got a week. impacts of these statistics in her work on the She asked people to do 30 push-ups for 30 prize for their eff orts. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • TERRIER RACING SUNDAY 29th NOVEMBER 2020 Showgrounds Park, Gisborne 34687-01 • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • NEWS FLASH • 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD lead families and friends Generational chanGe: Paki Koka enjoying the walk up Titirangi Kaiti Hill while pushing baby Fataiuoleva Tupe. Get involved: Families of those who join the challenge also take part. From left, Luseane Tupe, Sione Tupe jr, Ane Maile jr, Lesinga Tufunga, Manu Tufunga, and Paini Suluka enjoy the walk up the hill together. All pictures by Liam Clayton FROM PAGE 1 “ey are all into this. ey are going out Mele said. there by themselves or in groups, and doing “When we see a 5-year-old walking up A new challenge is posted each week. the exercises they need to do,” Mele said. Kaiti Hill at 5am while a 30-year-old is still In this round, the first was “lose yourself Lupe Grant joined in the first challenge asleep this motivates us — why can’t the at winter” with a focus on obesity. In the and has stuck with it since, helping Mele young ones be doing what the elders are?” second week diabetes awareness was the with anything she needs to keep the Mele said. focus, and the third and current round is challenge going. “Whatever is important to them they post stroke awareness, “because a stroke can A part of the challenge is a weekly recipe it up or go live to keep each other in the happen at anytime,” Mele said. that Mele posts in the Facebook group. loop.” As a way to keep everyone accountable ere is no set routine. ere is only the e plan going forward is to keep doing and to make sure they are working out, recipe. this until they hit whatever their target is. Mele made a private Facebook group where ey can do whatever they want, it is not Once they reach their goal, they will need the participants can express themselves forced upon them. to maintain it. however they want without the fear of “is whole challenge is about not forcing “Maintaining it is hard, but the main judgement from random people online. people to do things. It’s about motivating point is they have changed their lifestyle Friends of Mele online also joined in on each other,” Mele said. to become healthier and seen the benefits the challenge. A family living in America e recipe is what they need to follow of healthy eating and exercising regularly,” run or walk: Simi Tufunga runs ahead of Mele (left) and Hemaloto Veituna. and another in Australia have joined in too. for that week, how many times they need Mele said. And there are members to walk up Kaiti Hill, or how many times throughout New Zealand, “Mele is a full-time they need to do a certain in Auckland, Rotorua, workout, ideas of healthy Wellington and the South worker, wife and foods and what they cannot lsland. mother of two. eat. “is is for everyone and “You have to follow the anyone, I just want to help She’s a super hero” recipe otherwise the end our people get healthier.” result won’t be tasty,” Mele e challenge is open to said. everyone. Anyone can join in no matter After the second round ended, Mele and who they are but only as long as they are Lupe, with everyone else decided to keep wanting to become healthy. going. e group often “go live” when walking up In the third round they had new members Kaiti Hill. who are Samoan, Fijian, Indian and Maori. During the first round people lost from Any nationality is welcome. 6kg to 23.4kg in the six weeks. Every Saturday the participants go to “at is a lot coming from not losing Mele’s house to be weighed. anything,” Mele said. She uses her medical knowledge to check After the success of the first round, they their blood pressure and blood sugar level said to Mele “please can we keep doing this, (BSL). maybe even till December so we look good If there are any issues she refers them for summer”. to their GP to get checked up as soon as So Mele decided to keep doing it. possible. “It is hard for Pacific Island communities She sums up the results and shares them to raise their hand and ask for help but for in the private Facebook group. some reason everyone enjoys doing this,” “is is a lot of work that all comes from Mele said. the heart,” Lupe Grant says. In the second round 62 people joined up, “Mele is a full-time worker, wife and including children and teenagers. mother of two. She’s a super hero,” he said. Some over-50-year-olds have stayed from Motivation from others and the social connection are reasons why they continue, enjoyinG the feelinG: Paki Koka, Veisinia Grant Jr, Lupe Faletau Grant and Ma’ate the first round. Mataele love the feeling of conquering Titirangi every day. Saturday, SePtemBer 12, 2020 3 PROFILE In this, the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, East Coast nurse Bobbie Cameron took some time out to talk about her career, how she managed it around her growing family, and the people she has helped Walking along the way. Nurse Cameron (Nga Ariki Kaiputahi) is the primary alongside care manager at Ngati Porou Hauora. patients y the time I was 19 years old, I already had three children and was Ba busy full-time mum. I’d seen too many whanau die early from preventable diseases or not get the clinical care they deserved and I wanted to stop this happening for our whanau and others. We were living in Hawke’s Bay. I decided to enrol in the Bachelor of Nursing at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), so I could have some “me time”. I sat my state registration exam four weeks before the birth of our fourth child. I’ve walked across the stage to collect all my graduation tohu — Bachelor, Postgraduate and Master’s degrees — right after having a baby or while very pregnant! I am using all that study, and the 15 years’ experience working in Hawke’s Bay, managing primary healthcare in my role at Ngati Porou Hauora. It’s a broad role, including everything from crunching numbers and ensuring we provide quality care, to setting up new systems. Primary health is any community-based healthcare. working as a tutor on the Bachelor of kaiawhina and advocacy in the health GOOD MOVE: Ngati Porou Hauora primary Ngati Porou Hauora covers a large Nursing programme, I found many of my system.