Family left homeless by fire asked to move on
Search for house urgent despite support from church community
Standing in front of the fire- ravaged wreckage that was once their home, Folau Vunipola still finds a reason to smile while holding his young son Taofi.
The 4- year- old wants to be a firefighter one day and sports a shirt with the words: “Fire Chief ”.
Taofi is like many young boys — boisterous, loud and quick to wriggle free from his father’s arms whenever he gets the chance.
But he i s a little more extraordinary in that he lives with cerebral palsy — right hemiplegia — and a developmental delay. He walks with a limp on his right side.
His family, including four brothers and parents Folau and Susitina Vunipola, were among those caught up in a fire at a church complex in Ma ¯ ngere Bridge, South Auckland, that left 10 families homeless.
A week on, the Vunipolas remain at the Siasi Tokaikolo ’ ia Kalaisi — ’ Api ko Nasaleti church, to which families were evacuated.
Speaking through an interpreter, mum Susitina Vunipola described panicked scenes when the fire broke out around 3am on Thursday last week.
“There was all this smoke. My husband grabbed Taofi and I picked up the youngest one and another girl from around the complex helped to wake the others.”
Her other sons are aged 9, 8, 3 and 2.
She said all their belongings — everything from clothes to school books, family documents and special items needed to help Taofi’s disability — were lost in the fire.
She and her husband Folau, a carpenter, came from Tonga on working visas and have lived here for about five years. They have no family in New Zealand.
They had previously been living at a rental property O ¯ in tara, paying about $ 500 a week, before Taofi suffered a stroke at just 4 months old — forcing his father to work limited hours to help his wife take care of their young family.
It was their church community that offered a place to stay in 2019 and where they have lived since.
“If anyone is able to help us with a place to stay, that is our priority at the moment,” Susitina says.
She acknowledged the help of the church. But they have been asked to find a place to move to by next week.
At their living space, there are mattresses on the floor and bed sheets hung up to separate them, like small rooms. On the wall are Bible verses and images of Christ.
They are trying hard to find a home for the family and have contacted the Auckland Council and Ka ¯ inga Ora.
Members of the public and the wider South Auckland, local Tongan and Pacific communities have turned out in droves to provide food, clothing and monetary donations to those affected.
The Middlemore Foundation and the Kidz First Children’s Hospital have also been a pillar of support to the Vunipola family, who have had a strong connection with local health workers because of Taofi’s condition.
Service manager Roni Hamilton said its child development service provides support for children with disabilities in the Counties Manukau region — everything from physiotherapy to occupational therapy, speech- language therapy and social work support.
“A significant portion of our families within our service are Pacific and Ma ¯ ori.”
The foundation is teaming up with former boxing champ and communit y advocate Dave Letele, of the Brown Buttabean Motivation organisation, which also stepped up after the fire to provide families with food, bedding and clothing.
The two organisations are putting on a special Kidz First Christmas party that aims to raise $ 80,000 to continue to help children with disabilities and families with sick children in hospital.
Folau Vunipola acknowledged they have had a rough few years as a family, but he is proud of setting up his family in a place where he can raise all his boys “for a better future”.
“I just want to find a home for my wife and boys. I want to work and give them a home.”