Lupe Tupou | University of Waikato (original) (raw)

Papers by Lupe Tupou

There is a dearth of knowledge about the social impacts of seasonal migration on children left be... more There is a dearth of knowledge about the social impacts of seasonal migration on children left behind in Tonga and Pacific countries more generally. The economic benefits of remittances on families have been studied quite extensively but the social costs and benefits have not been the subject of much inquiry. This exploratory study in a Tongan village setting seeks to better understand children who are left behind and who are being affected by lengthy absences of older family members when they are employed as seasonal workers in the horticulture and viticulture industries of New Zealand and Australia. ! O Lord my God, I cried out to you, and you healed me. Psalms 30:2 Fakafeta'i 'Eiki 'i he me'a kotoa pe! All glory to God forever and ever. Amen! Only my name appears on the cover of this thesis, but in no way does it truly reflect the amount of support I have received in its production. There are no words that could adequately describe my overwhelming appreciation to the many people who have contributed to this thesis. First and foremost, I would like to express my respect, genuine appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Emeritus Professor Richard (Dick) Bedford of the University of Waikato. Thank you so much for your love, generosity, invaluable and constructive advice, encouragement, tireless support, openness, and enthusiasm to help me since day one. From the: selection of my topic, development of research proposal, submission of ethics application, and refinement of thesis write-up through to the final stage. You have walked extra miles to assist me and that is why I have managed to complete it. Nobody can do what you can. From the bottom of my heart, I say a HUGE MALO 'AUPITO Dick, for showing me the light shine so bright at the end of the tunnel and putting a smile on my face. Your dedication really touched my heart and I appreciate all that you have done for me. I am truly blessed from God for knowing and working with you. I pray for God's protection and guidance upon you and your lovely family. You will never be forgotten in my life and in my little family. 'Ofa lahi atu Dick! To my supervisor, Dr Matthew Roskruge. I am sincerely grateful for your support, advice, guidance, kindness and love throughout this time. A BIG Thank you so much for being my supervisor and for your patience and understanding every time I sought for your help at each step and especially for the last check and formatting my thesis. Again, I appreciate all that you have taught me throughout this time, Malo 'aupito mo e 'ofa atu. vi Heartfelt thanks to Dr John Paterson for helping me especially with my ethics application. Your experience as a former ethics committee Chairperson helped me pass through the process much easier. I wish you well in your life John. Much 'ofas to you and your wife. I would also like to express my thanks to the Chairperson of the Faculty of Arts and Social Science Ethics Committee in 2015, Dr Ruth Walker, for your help and advice while trying to complete my ethics application. To my friendly family at NIDEA: You all have created an atmosphere where I always felt most welcome. To name a few, Dr John Ryks, Associate Professor Tahu Kukutai, Associate Professor Polly Atatoa-Carr, Moana Rarere and Brenda Hall. Special thanks to you all for supporting me. To Moana and Tahu: I will never forget your smiling faces, and the great effort, kindness and help you both gave me that enabled me to complete this endeavour. To this beautiful lady, Brenda Hall: Thank you very much for all you have done for me. You are so kind Brenda. I hope you will still be here when I return soon. My best regards, love to you all at NIDEA. To my subject librarian, Jillene Bydder: I cannot thank you enough for your offer to fix my reference list and the in-text citation. I salute you Jillene. Also, to librarian Karen Buckley: I am thankful for your help. To Jim Fulton, Malo 'aupito for your proficient proofreading services of this thesis. May I also extend my appreciation to the New Zealand Aid Scholarship for financially supporting this study, and also Deonne Taylor and Rachael Elliot for your support and help. My heartfelt thanks also goes to the Ministry of Education in Tonga for giving me the opportunity to take this study. I am also much indebted to the many participants who took part in this study for their story and support me. Their stories provided the basis for the research. Fakamālō atu ki a Sefita Hauoli, Dr Halahingano Rohorua 'i he tokoni kotoa pe na'a mou fai mai. A special fakamālō to my two colleagues at NIDEA, Sione Lolohea and Tas Barsdell, for helping me to construct my maps and everything since the beginning. I wish both of you the best this year. Other friends and colleagues who also provided invaluable