Transcript
PITA TAUFATOFUA: It's just an absolute honour, I mean, I guess [I am] very happy. It's just an honour. There is a responsibility that goes along with it as well but I am just very pleased to be in this position.
KORO VAKA'UTA: You mention about the responsibility, what do you want to achieve as UNICEF Pacific Ambassador?
PT: My biggest thing is always education, so making sure that kids all throughout the Pacific, and the world as well, is increased. These guys are the leaders of tomorrow so education is the biggest thing. Number two is access to health and making sure that the kids grow up healthy and with access to good nutrition and that sort of thing. I am a sportsman so nutrition is always a top thing on my agenda. The third thing is making sure that the voices of the kids are heard rather than the whole idea of talking down to kids, it's about having to stylise it and asking them how they want their future to be.
KV: Because you have been, not just this week, but in the past, post-Olympics and pre-Winter Olympics you've been around Tonga addressing students, there is a connection there yeah?
PT: Ah yes absolutely. I was a student here in Tonga for many years and yes I grew up here in Tonga. It was really nice to actually get back to my old school and have the signing ceremony at the school.
KV: Did you ever think, you know if you look back pre-Rio Games that you would be doing work like this outside of the sporting arena, something so impactful?
PT: It's quite funny. I was actually doing this sort of stuff before really. I was 15 years as a youth worker. You know I wasn't a UNICEF Ambassador but I was a youth worker for 15 years helping homeless kids get themselves out of homelessness was the main thing and helping to inspire and encourage them. To have a UN title, UN, UNICEF title is such a big thing, that wasn't quite on the vision board.
KV: You mention things like education and giving youth a voice, are there any other needs or areas you would like to address as ambassador?
PT: There is going to be many as they come along so obviously nutrition, making sure that all kids have access to food, and your healthy food, healthy options, because that is going to affect how they act, how they think and all that sort of stuff. And also I guess the advocacy. So making sure they are given a good chance at everything, be it around the Pacific or anywhere else in the world that they are treated as fellow human beings.
KV: And in terms of Tonga itself, we know what happened in February, the kids that you have come across, how are they recovering from that disaster? [Cyclone Gita]
PT: They're recovering really well. They've got a lot of aid and help and that sort of thing and help with the rebuilding but like I said when I was over at the Winter Olympics is that it doesn't matter what happens on the physical scale to the country, the hearts of the Polynesians, the Pacific Islanders, is not easily swayed. We bounce back.
