Travelling on an AFS programme is one way for young Pacific people to live abroad, as Sara Vui-Talitu reports.

Veialu Aila-Unsworth's trip to Italy on the AFS intensive programme changed the course of her life.

As a 17-year old, she lived in northern Italy for two months in a town with 10,000 people called Montecchio Emilia . "I'd always wanted to travel, she says. "I grew up travelling. When I was 4 years old I went backpacking in South-east Asia with my mum. But my trip to Italy was my first trip away by myself. It really blew me away." Now a filmmaker, Veilau has just returned from Europe where her first animated film Blue Willow, based on a Chinese love story, was screened at the Berlin Film Festival in February. The 15 minute film retells the old Chinese legend attached to the famous blue willow ceramics pattern, the most popular design in Western pottery for almost 200 years. Designed by Thomas Milton in 1780, the pattern features two ill-fated lovers, Koong-se the daughter of a rich mandarin and Chang the secretary.

Her recent trip to Germany reminded her of her first trip to Italy. "You know looking at other cultures helps you to understand yours a whole lot better," she says.

Veialu was born in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. Her dad is from the PNG cental province town of Delena, but she moved to Tauranga in New Zealand with her English/Danish mum, after her parent's separated. "One reason why I went to Italy was to validate and be proud of my PNG culture, given I'd pretty much been raised by mum. Someting magical happens when you're in another culture and its so different to what you are and how you look and people kept asking me who I was." Her mum is now an English teacher in China. "Italy was life changing cos my family situation at the time was quite hard. So this trip was time out on my own and my chance to see the world. It was liberating." Veialu, who is now based in Wellington, says Italy had made her think 'big' and become a lot more ambitious.

Two years ago she made her first documentary about the Papua New Guinean community in Wellington titled "Yu Bilong Weh?", that came out of her need to better understand her Papua New Guinea culture. And she has also returned home to PNG to meet her father for the first time since she left as a kid. "Emotionally it was huge. I had never realised how much I had physically missed the country of my birth. "

Veialu says travel made her question her own values and ways of thinking. "It also made me realise why some people do the things they do...and you take a look at your own family and heritage with a fresh pair of eyes.The small details took me away, like here in New Zealand we emphasize a big main meal at night. Over in Italy we had a big lunch and there was a huge coffee culture. Compared to growing up in Tauranga with my mum, Italy was just incredible. I mean when you go out in Tauranga there's a daggy bar with bad lighting and the same faces. But in Italy, there was this converted castle, with gogo dances and just the food, smells and sights and sounds and people were so different. I even started dressing differently - appreciating femininity more and embracing style. "

She says her career is still influenced by her love of travel. "I came away with a greater sense of 'I can do anything, and anywhere in the world.' It filled me with confidence and being proud of my sense of self. It helped me focus on a career in creative arts, film and media." Veialu has so far worked for Channel 10 in Sydney, the TV series 'The Living Room' and for TV3.

The Papua New Guinean says it is important to talk to parents and family if you are interested in living abroad. "There are so many options available for funding and you really don't have to be rich kid to go." Veialu says it doesn't always depend on how much money you have. "I mean there are so many opportunities that come your way when I was there in Italy. We went skiing and my family paid for me to go, lent me ski gear, and I travelled with them for free. There are ways to survive. And there are scholarships you can apply for or funding opportunities."

She reminises about the time she felt invincible after coming back to live in New Zealand after living in Italy. "It was like I could do anything I wanted. My AFS experience allowed me to see the world from other angles and appreciate what I have as a culture and what other cultures have to offer. It helped me grow empathy, and more sensitivity, and patience and made me grow".

And Veialu has certainly blossomed. Last year she graduated with a Master of Theatre Arts in Directing from Victoria University and Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School after getting her Bachelor of Communication Studies from the Auckland University of Technology (AUT). She has recently been profiled in the Sunday Star-Times in a feature on young people who were 'The Next Big Thing' to look out for in terms of up and coming success stories, and Veialu is currently studying on Bill Manhire's prestigious scriptwriting course at the Victoria University. She is also working with AFS to form a Pacific network of returnees.

Veialu says she hopes more Pacific people will take the opportunity to travel and experience life in another country that's very different from their own. "Travel affects the rest of your life no matter how old you are. Not a day goes by without me thinking about it," she says.

Veialu in Tianamen Square in Beijing

Eating donkey meat in China

AFS is a non profit organisation that offers a variety of exchanges for young people to live in another country with a host family. The ethos of AFS is to foster peace and create lifelong relationships between individuals and families from different countries and cultures.

AFS is also looking for host families to take in exchange students anywhere from a few weeks to 12 months. AFS is wanting to form a Pacific chapter for returnees, so if you are an ex-AFS student of Pacific origin, please get in touch. For more information, contact AFS on 0800600300 or email info-newzealand@afs.org and find out how to get in touch with your local AFS chapter.

AFS Intercultural Programmes New Zealand / Nga Herenga Tatai o AFS