It takes a village!
From the age of seven, Meli Sio would tag along to events with her Aunties. For her, it was a real joy listening to them chatting away. At home she would make them endless cups of tea and jump at the chance to run errands for them.
She loved caring for others. It was something she was exposed to from an early age, taught to her by her parents, who were pastors at the local church.
“Mum and Dad were always helping out at food banks, mentoring others and taking people in who needed support and somewhere to live,” Meli says.
Meli is the oldest child in her family. Her younger sister is a Section Sergeant in the Navy and is away a lot. So, when their father died in December 2025 her mother moved in with Meli, helping out when she could with Meli’s three children.
Meli has a strong belief in reaching out to her community, particularly older members who may not have the confidence to get out of their comfort zone and try new things. When Age Concern Wellington advertised for an Omai Faatasi & Event Coordinator, she knew it was the perfect job for her. (Omai Faatasi means come together in Samoan.)
Working across the Region, Meli’s role is to reach out to older members of the community, encourage them to come along to events and organise guest speakers to share their knowledge. She says it’s about making older people feel included and valued.
“It’s about creating a safe space for them to mingle and socialise,” she says. “They say it takes a village to raise a child but I believe it also takes a village to care for our Elders.”
The events she organises cover a range of important topics such as stroke awareness and high blood pressure, frauds and scams – anything that may have an impact on older members of the community.
One of the first events Meli was part of in her new role featured guest speaker Stephen Opie, CEO of Age Concern Wellington.
“Everyone was so interested in what he had to say and asked lots of questions. I felt very proud to be part of such an organisation.”
Meli, we are very proud and grateful to have you as part of our team. Thank you for the valuable work that you do!