Young Samoan tastes success

“This is something we are passionate about, to prove that the low decile number our school has is only a number. There are a lot of good things that’s happening in Manurewa High School. We have everything we need here at the school”

A young Samoan female with roots in Salelologa Savai’i is among the brightest sparks at Manurewa High School in South Auckland, New Zealand.

Milefoti Fonoia is part of a group from the school called Black Bulb Co., which has recently won what’s called the Dragons Den business award. Other group members include Wilson Lesa, Roniella Sebastian and Naota Atiana.

The group earned the accolade with their presentation of a delicious gourmet called the Black Garlic Aioli – a product they describe as a “dark horse in the market that is jokey-ed by our passion for food diversity.”

The Dragons Den is a Youth Enterprise Scheme (YES) challenge aimed at school students to have a taste of a career in business. They create a company, set up roles and appoint individuals, develop, manufacture or import, market and sell the product.

“Our target market is only to the high end cuisine users because we’ve taken the high end cuisine ingredients used at the high-end restaurants,” said Ms. Fonoia.

“We are a small company from a low decile school from south Auckland. It was an eye-opening competing against other schools who are high-deciled – for us it was all about motivation to be the best against those high deciled schools.”

Manurewa High School is one of the largest multi-cultural schools in New Zealand.

The decile 2 high school in the south of Auckland has been the nurturing place for a stars such as former All Blacks hard man Mark Cooksley, Counties Manukau and Chiefs rugby star Tim Nanai-Williams, Canterbury rugby league star Greg

Eastwood as well as TV newsreader Wendy Petrie.

Manurewa, through the group, is back in the limelight.

Members of Black Bulb acknowledge the school, their teachers and the community for their success. They say they want to share with the achievement with the people of south Auckland, especially as the final was at the Vodafone Events

Centre in Manukau City – their home turf.

“To win it in front of our community was awesome,” said Mele Lo’manu, a very close friend of Ms. Fonoia.

“This is something we are passionate about, to prove that the low decile number our school has is only a number. There are a lot of good things that’s happening in Manurewa High School. We have everything we need here at the school.”

Ms. Fonoia is planning to study at Otago University next year, although her parents may have something to say about that. Her parents are and had been her staunch supporters during the Dragons Den competition, their continuous support and encouragements is something she is very grateful for.

Next in line for the Black Bulb Co. is the regional competition to showcase their product, then the nationals in Wellington.

Ms. Lo’amanu described her friend as very committed and passionate about her goals, academically and the business venture.

“She is a determined girl, a great friend with a bright future. For us, growing up in south Auckland with the negative perceptions can be hard but we’ve found it a great place to live – there is no other place greater than south Auckland,” said

Ms Lo’amanu.

“Manurewa High may be a decile two school but it doesn’t affect our learning skills. All in all, a lot of our students are of good stock and high achievers. These four students in the Black Bulb Co. not only want to achieve for south Auckland, they want to achieve for New Zealand and beyond.”

Ms. Fonoia, whose favourite All Black is Julian Savea along with the South Sydney rugby league club, hails from the village of Salelologa.

After a period in Australia, her family moved back and chose south Auckland to be their home base. It’s a decision that had worked quite well for her.

Manurewa High School and Ms. Fonoia, along with her three friends who entered the Dragons Den, had been good for each other.