Welcome to our new batch of Kiwis

It was the promise of more job opportunities and a better education that enticed 24-year-old Christina Aokuso and her family here from Samoa. Ms Aokuso, along with 34 others were welcomed as citizens by Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott in a ceremony at the Napier City Council on Monday night.

"My father said Samoa wasn't safe for our generation to grow up and find a job, and the rate of employment [in Samoa] is low," Ms Aokuso said.

The six-member Aokuso family immigrated to New Zealand five years ago and, after spending two weeks with their extended family in Auckland, came straight to Hawke's Bay, finding things "a lot different from our own country".

After spending Year 13 at William Colenso College, casual jobs appears to have come easy for Ms Aokuso, although permanent jobs have been harder to find.

"When I can't get a job through Work and Income, I search on the internet," she said.

She is the eldest of four girls. Her 17-year-old sister, Tilomai, is at Tamatea High School, 21-year-old May is studying at EIT and Rosa, 19, is undertaking an army course in Lower Hutt.

Work is on hold at the moment for Ms Aokuso, while she takes time out to be with her husband, Saimata Moananu, and their new daughter, Leata. "I am happy to live with my baby and family now - they are so special to me," she said. When Leata is old enough to go to school, Ms Aokuso will look for another job.

The family see life in the Bay as being not too rushed and "where you can live a normal life".

"I love Hawke's Bay, if we aren't able to get a job through Work & Income we help our other family members out with picking apples."

New citizens 

Napier City welcomed 35 new citizens on Monday night in a ceremony at the Napier City Council chambers. Candidates from Samoa, Britain, Ireland, England, Thailand, India, Sweden, Iran and South Africa swore allegiance to her Majesty the Queen before Napier Mayor Barbara Arnott.

Inducted were:

Christina (Faleaana) Aokuso, Benjamin Buckley, Richard Burt-Andrews, Julia Burt-Andrews, Hannah Dixon, Ronald Dixon, Janet Dixon, Christina Ellison, Russell Hickson, Tara Huckle, Vineta Matauli, Joseph McKee, Angela Bridget McKee, Bernadette Marie Patterson, Kevin Patterson, Kaisarina Penitito, Gareth Dudley Simpson, Balwinder Singh, Dan Singh, Tajinder Singh, Stefanus Steyn, David Wells, Gillian Wells, Roger Beech, Joanna Damen, Bruce Graham, Mutjarin Thongsuk, James Graham, Carena Hunter, Mignon Breytenbach, Katherine Johnson, Anders Klevfors, Davood Riahi Farahani and Amy Senada.