Tangitangi ‘a Lupe Moala, is the Data Entry Officer for one of the Sport for Development in Tonga known as the Just Play Program under Tonga Football Association for three years. She is one of the staff member who started as the volunteer for the program.
The program uses football to encourage positive behaviours, teach important life skills and develop resilience among participants and communities.
Tangi grew up in a family where she is the only child and relies everything on her parents. Witnessing the hard work of her mother, she dreams of having a job to help her mother provide for the family.
“My mother was the principal in one of the special schools for children with disability known as the ‘Ofa Tui moe ‘Amanaki Centre while my father was a farmer. Her dedication and hard work in helping children motivates me to follow her footsteps in helping people”.
While Tangi maps her way in helping her mother, she studies Law at the University of the South Pacific wanting to become a Lawyer one day. However, Lafaele Moala, the love of her life changed her mind from dreaming to be a Lawyer into loving the Just Play Program.
“I studied law and helping children with disability feeding them and teaching them making handicrafts at the same time. I remember one time I had lunch at my mom’s workplace and the Just Play program were there running fun activities.
“I sat there and watch the children enjoying the program and looking at those smiling faces made my day. I started to get interest and wanted to learn more about the program and this is where I met Lafaele”.
It was through Lafaele that introduced Tangi to the program as a volunteer. He knew that Tangi was a volunteer for the Red Cross and decided to encourage her to use her experience for the program. From there, she started to come out of her comfort zone and share her love in helping children.
“Having Lafaele gives me the courage to believe in myself and share my experience. Reflecting back as the only child, everything was very hard such as carrying the entire burden in order to make a living for yourself but meeting Lafaele makes everything easy”.
Tangi work as a volunteer for the program for nearly five years. While working as a volunteer, Palu ‘Uhatahi Tu’amoheloa, the program manager at that time offered Tangi an opportunity for an open position as the Data Entry Officer. Tangi did not have the courage to accept the offer but good thing, Lafaele was there to encourage her to take the opportunity. From there, Tangi was title as the Just Play Data Entry Officer and a full time staff for the program in 2021.
“Incentives I had when working as the volunteer really helped me and my mother provide for the family and the opportunities I have in working for the program encourages me to always remember that I can do it and believe in myself”.
Apart from Data Entry, Tangi is a mother to three children. From relying on her mother to having her own family gives her the understanding of why mothers worked hard. Tangi is willing to do anything to help Just Play participants change their lives to believe in themselves. She decided to let her mother rest and not to worry about providing for the family and let her take the responsibility.
