PĀNUI
NEWS
He Kaimahi Tēnei - Toma Petelo.
02/06/2026
E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u. From the high mountains are the blessings of the village.
There is a Samoan proverb that says the blessings of a village flow down from the mountains. It speaks of the land, the forest, the ocean, the natural resources that sustained generations long before machinery or manufactured food. But it also speaks of something deeper. Of God. Of ancestors. Of the elders and leaders whose wisdom and service make a community whole. For Toma Petelo, this proverb is not just a theme for Samoan Language Week. It is the story of his life.
Toma is the Team Lead of Manawa Mai at He Waka Tapu, a role he carries with the same quiet authority and servant leadership that has defined him long before he ever held a job title. He is 57 years old, the seventh of ten siblings, raised in the villages of Tauese and Salelologa in Sāmoa. He is a father of eight and a grandfather of nineteen. He holds the Matai title of Luamanuvae, bestowed on him by his siblings, a title that in Samoan culture represents not status, but responsibility.
Growing up in a large family taught Toma early what it meant to put others first. His father, a Catechist in the Catholic Church, was known in their community as a hardworking and humble man who led by example. It was from him that Toma absorbed the values that still guide him today. The understanding that a person's character is not measured by wealth or status, but by how they treat people and how willing they are to serve.
"He taught me the value of hard work, the importance of integrity, and the need to remain humble regardless of achievements or position in life."
Its in those words you can begin to understand the weight of responsibility Toma carries. This is the mountain from which his own blessings have flowed.
"A Matai title is more than just a position. It represents service, leadership, protection, and commitment to family and community."
One of the most revered Samoan proverbs speaks directly to the kind of leader Toma has become. O le ala i le pule o le tautua. The pathway to leadership is through service. In Samoan culture, leadership is never about authority or recognition. It is earned through sacrifice, commitment and genuine care for the wellbeing of those around you. It is a principle Toma has lived quietly and consistently across every role he has held.
At He Waka Tapu, that same spirit shows up in the mahi of Manawa Mai, holding space for opur whānau behind the wire, and doing so with the kind of steady, grounded presence that can only come from someone who knows deeply who they are and where they come from.
Fatherhood and grandfatherhood have only solidified that. Nineteen mokopuna. Eight children. A family that is, in every sense, a village of its own.
"Through fatherhood I have learned patience, sacrifice, unconditional love and leadership. They have strengthened my understanding of the importance of nurturing future generations."
"No matter where life takes you, you should never forget your roots, your values, or your responsibilities to others."
It is this generational thinking that ties Toma so naturally to this year's Samoan Language Week theme. E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u. The blessings of the village do not appear out of thin air. They flow from the mountains, from God, from ancestors, from the elders and leaders who show up with wisdom and care, day after day, so that those coming behind them have a solid foundation to stand on.
Toma is one of those mountains.
"No matter where life takes you, you should never forget your roots, your values, or your responsibilities to others."
A Matai, a grandfather, a father, and a team lead shaped by faith, culture and a lifetime of service, Toma continues to show up for whānau with humility, heart, and the quiet strength of someone who has always known that true leadership flows from giving, not taking.
E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu'u. From the high mountains are the blessings of the village.
He Waka Tapu acknowledges and celebrates Samoan Language Week and the incredible Pasifika kaimahi who bring their culture, values and identity into their mahi every single day.
