Stories From The Pacific

0:29:54

Finding power in voice

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/05/05

This is Namila Benson as you've never heard her before.One of the few Melanesian women to occupy space on mainstream television in Australia, Namila reflects on how her voice became her power.In this powerful conversation with fellow Wantok and Stories from the Pacific host, Wendy Mocke, Namila reflects on her childhood shaped by diaspora to a career spanning hosting, writing, mentoring artists and shaping media from the inside. She speaks candidly about identity, belonging and the

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0:30:33

Samoan clown Tommy Misa on art, satire and finding home

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/04/28

On Stories From the Pacific, host Wendy Mocke sits down with the brilliant Tommy Misa, a storyteller who reminds us that some of the deepest truths arrive wrapped in laughter. From the queer bars of Sydney to the global stage of the Biennale, Tommy's work has carved out space for the misfits, the hard workers and anyone who has ever felt out of place under theatre lights.A master of the Samoan Clown, a former nutritional medicine student who followed a literal dream to the stage,

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0:06:49

From Oʻahu to Utah: Policing, Pacific values and purpose

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/04/21

Jennifer Faumuina leads some of America’s most demanding work - overseeing crime scene investigations and critical domestic violence programs - yet her journey into law enforcement began far from the mainland, in the tropical islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Now a sergeant with the Utah Department of Public Safety, Jennifer brings Pacific values of service, family and community into a profession where calm leadership, clarity under pressure and everyday courage are essential. As one of

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0:29:53

Māori Einstein Uncut: From viral cooking to culture,...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/04/14

From a sandwich‑press burger and a pair of brown tongs came a signature — and a following. Māori Einstein's fast, funny cooking has travelled from Aotearoa to Adelaide, hitting millions of feeds and landing spots on Sunrise and 7NEWS. In this episode of Stories From The Pacific, host Bobby Macumber meets the person behind the handle: the name, the hustle, and what cooking has taught him about people. Moving between worlds has sharpened his sense of responsibility — to language,

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0:29:24

From netball courts to community power: The quiet...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/04/07

Our guest today is someone who doesn’t just pull up a chair - she builds the table. Born in Lae, Papua New Guinea and raised in Sydney, Australia, Sigrid Yaru navigated the culture shock of a new country through the universal language of netball. What began as a way to belong has grown into a lifetime of quiet, determined work for Melanesian visibility and community care. A community organiser with an open-door policy, a fierce advocate who protects artists and negotiates

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0:29:24

From PNG village life to the IT fast lane: How Hane...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/03/31

What does it take to put yourself first when you've been taught to carry everyone else? Hane Kokoha takes us from a childhood in Daru, Papua New Guinea, shaped by strict, loving grandparents and a deep "family and village" way of life, into the pressure-cooker of adulthood — a demanding career in a male-dominated IT world, stress, disconnection, and the moment she realised something had to change.Hane speaks about choosing sobriety on her birthday, rebuilding self-respect, and

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0:29:54

PNG theatre and storytelling: Sophie Naime and Ellen...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/03/17

In this episode of Stories from the Pacific, Wendy Mocke speaks with Dr Sophie Naime and Ellen Mesibere, two Papua New Guinean women whose lives and leadership have been shaped by theatre and storytelling. From radio dramas, church performances and folk dancing to building pathways for young artists, they reflect on how creativity took root and grew into a movement. It’s a powerful conversation about art, identity and resilience in the Pacific.

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0:29:47

How wearable art designer Elayne Tukuafu challenges...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/03/10

Elayne Tukuafu grew up being called "plastic" for not speaking her Tongan language. But as she moved through life, she reflected on how to stay connected to your culture and family in other ways — like continuing cultural traditions with creativity.Elayne traces how Pacific identity is shaped through everyday acts of listening, remembering and passing knowledge between generations. The conversation moves between home, migration and creativity, revealing how language can be both a

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0:26:18

How Torres Strait writer Jasmine McGaughey blends...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/03/03

Jasmine McGaughey is a proud Torres Strait Islander and African American writer and editor.She's the beloved co-author of tennis legend Ash Barty's Little Ash series, inspiring young readers right across the country. And her latest work, Moonlight and Dust, is a young adult fantasy novel that blends culture, identity and magic in a way only she can.Jasmine brings a powerful cross-cultural perspective to Australian literature — and her voice is fast becoming one to watch.She sits

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0:29:53

Quayd Purcell Ah You on using dance, humour and...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/02/24

Quayd Purcell Ah You is a third-generation cultural practitioner and aspiring creator from La’ie, Hawai’i. Growing up under the famous Ah You name meant navigating intense family pressure to follow the sporting path, but Quayd found his own voice on stage at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Today, he uses dance, humour and social media content to carve a path of creativity and acceptance, inspiring young Pacific people to find balance between their culture, faith and

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0:29:52

When the storms come: Flora Vano on women, power and...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/02/17

Flora Vano grew up drawing courage from stories and from the women who shaped her. Later, she learned the unforgiving arithmetic of cyclones; what happens when winds rise, communications fail, and care becomes a community’s lifeline. Today, as the country manager for ActionAid Vanuatu, Flora leads women across the islands in transforming disaster preparedness into collective power. In this episode of Stories From the Pacific, host Wendy Mocke meets the organiser who listens first,

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0:29:53

Koko Samoa: Fipe Preuss on taking risks and founding...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/02/10

Fipe Preuss is wired for the leap. At 16 she skydived without telling her parents, then learned to find calm midair, underwater, and in rooms full of people. That is the person we are meeting, the risk taker and community maker, who later co-founded Living Koko, a Melbourne chocolate company working with small-plot Samoan farmers to turn fair-priced cacao into small-batch chocolate, drinking cacao and teas. Stories From The Pacific’s host Wendy Mocke speaks with Phoebe (Fipe)

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0:29:53

Fipe Preuss: Cacao, Country and Spirit

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/02/10

Fipe Preuss is wired for the leap. At 16 she skydived without telling her parents, then learned to find calm midair, underwater, and in rooms full of people. That is the person we are meeting, the risk taker and community maker, who later co-founded Living Koko, a Melbourne chocolate company working with small-plot Samoan farmers to turn fair-priced cacao into small-batch chocolate, drinking cacao and teas. Stories From The Pacific’s host Wendy Mocke speaks with Phoebe (Fipe)

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0:29:49

From rugby star to barber: Tevita Mailau on identity,...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/02/03

He ran out in the front row for New Zealand, pulled on the red jersey for Tonga, and battled in the scrums of France — but it was his hair that made him a global icon.Tevita Mailau's legendary "horsey" haircut became part of rugby folklore: tugged at in scrums, turned into memes, and imitated by fans around the world. What most people didn't know was that even then, off the field, Tevita was the team barber, shaping fades and fixing up teammates long before he ever owned a

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0:29:55

Willy Missack's journey takes him from Tanna to the...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/01/27

Willy Missack is an inspiring changemaker from Tanna, Vanuatu, whose work has reached far beyond his island home. As a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington and founder of Learn to Serve: Vanuatu, Willy empowers young people to tackle climate and community challenges head-on.His journey has taken him from remote villages to royal recognition, including an award from Queen Elizabeth II.In this episode of Stories From The Pacific, host Bobby Macumber dives into how it

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0:57:21

Kalafi Moala risked everything to tell the truth —...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2026/01/13

Kalafi Moala is a Tongan journalist, editor, and founder of the Times of Tonga newspaper, a publication dedicated to holding power to account and giving voice to the people.His fearless reporting brought him into direct conflict with the Tongan government, leading to his imprisonment and eventual deportation from his own country. But Kalafi never gave up. He was later cleared of all charges, allowing him to return home.But there's more to Kalafi than his fight for a free press —

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0:29:54

Agent of change: How Samuel Gaskin is redefining...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2025/12/09

Samuel Gaskin is a Melbourne-based musician, composer, and creative producer whose work is transforming the arts. With roots in Aotearoa and Nigeria, Samuel has moved beyond chasing stardom to create spaces where communities feel seen, safe, and celebrated. His award-winning works Reckoning and Aunty have redefined representation on stage, blending ancestral knowledge with pop culture flair. In this episode of Stories From the Pacific on ABC Radio Australia, join host Bobby

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0:04:58

Palau's Yvonne Ueda on faith, conservation, community...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2025/12/02

To understand Yvonne Ueda's journey is to picture the weaving of a chedecholl mat — each strand a story, each imperfection a source of strength. Her life has been shaped by preparation, patience, and partnership: from a winding educational path marked by setbacks, to discovering identity through motherhood, faith, and community. Today, she leads conservation projects in Palau with The Nature Conservancy, inspires young people through her church, and tends to her own farm: a dream

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0:29:54

From Rotuma to the deep sea: How Fijian scientist...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2025/11/25

Stories From The Pacific

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0:28:54

Aboriginal and Tongan artist Mi-Kaisha breaks...

Stories From The Pacific ·

2025/11/18

Home can mean many things: the eucalyptus trees and beaches of Sydney, the chaos of New York City or the warmth of family barbecues with music and food. For Mi-Kaisha, home is both a physical place and a community that raised her. As a proud Aboriginal and Tongan artist, Mi-Kaisha's journey has taken her from family singalongs and NAIDOC celebrations to breaking barriers as the first Aboriginal student at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Her music -

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