Stories by Koro Vaka'uta

There's a brown, bi-cultural generation changing the face of New Zealand, but it's not without struggle.

The 'Otai calls when the summer heat finally arrives.

A Samoan author who wrote a book during a week of New Zealand's Covid-19 lockdown, hopes her new project will show the value of Pacific women. Audio

Despite greater sensitivity around the subject of mental health within New Zealand's Pasifika community, more still needs to be done. Audio

PNG's record drug seizure means other countries around the Pacific will need to be extra vigilant according to a regional security analyst.

As countries across the Pacific implement measures to combat the spread of Covid-19, women's advocates are concerned what it might mean people in violent relationships.

How does a country go from causing the biggest upset in rugby league history to being expelled by the international governing body in a matter of months?

Cooperation between the US and like-minded nations in the Pacific is becoming increasingly important as "different mindsets" permeate the region, says the Commandant of the US Coast Guard. Audio

Waitangi Day conjures up different things for different people, but what does it mean for the thousands of Pasifika who live in Aotearoa? Audio

A school workbook containing "harmful" messages is being circulated in Fiji's schools, says a local activist.

Top officials from Tonga's Ha'apai group say infrastructure is in urgent need of repair in the islands after Cyclone Tino swept past overnight.

Tongan health authorities could re-vaccinate up to 20,000 people against the measles after it was discovered some historical vaccinations might not be effective. Audio

Tonga's Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the country's National Rugby League, (TNRL), in terms of its control of the Mate Ma'a Tonga team.

Tonga's National Rugby League is launching legal action against the government following its suspension by the international governing body.

The Tonga National Rugby League board says it has been unfairly attacked publicly and the relationship with former coach Kristian Woolf became untenable.

First Person - As Tongan Language Week is celebrated this week in New Zealand, RNZ Pacific's News Editor Koro Vaka'uta reflects on his - mostly silent - journey as a Tongan in Aotearoa.

The idea of having accessible Pacific-wide eye care is no longer a pipe-dream and is creeping closer to reality thanks to a Suva-based institute with a multi-faceted approach to healthcare.

A small group of Pacific eye care specialists are determined to make a difference despite the challenge of a heavy workload, large areas to cover and often minimal resources at their disposal. Audio

The head of a trust set up to eliminate avoidable blindness around the world says the Pacific is leading the way for everyone else to follow.

Eye care specialists from around the Pacific will discuss the various challenges they face at a meeting in Fiji this week.

A Tongan doctor says he is studying to become an ophthalmologist because people on his island have to wait months for eye treatment.

As public discussion on climate change and ways to arrest its impact continue around the world, one of many low-lying atolls in the Pacific wrestles with the issue right now.

New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister says it's time to put Fiji's volatile political history in the past.

Lourdes Leon Guerrero is already a history-maker and now Guam's new governor wants to be known as an agent of change.

Government and community leaders are grappling with the rising cases of methamphetamine use in Tonga. Audio