Baby on the way to temporary worker from Tuvalu stranded in New Zealand

A young woman from Tuvalu will give birth to her second child in Rotorua in two weeks, 3700 kilometers from her husband and home, after Covid-19 border closures trapped her in New Zealand while doing seasonal work.

Takeisi Laki arrived in New Zealand in March to work the apple season at a Hawke’s Bay packinghouse, something the 25-year-old has done for the past five years to help support her family.

To obtain a visa under the Recognized Seasonal Employer scheme, you had to take a pregnancy test.

It was negative, but after her Laki started feeling unwell a few months later, she bought a home pregnancy test.

It was positive.

“I was so happy … [and when I told my husband] he was so happy too. “

But it may take some time before the new family of four is together.

Tuvalu, which is reached from New Zealand via Fiji, has closed its border to keep the deadly virus out.

Laki does not know when it will reopen and will arrive home with her husband Vaeluaga Taeka and their 11-month-old son, Junior.

The couple already chose the name for their new baby, Kalapu, in honor of the baby’s whāngai grandfather.

“I feel good,” Laki said to the Herald on sunday.

“But not very well, because I miss my husband … and my son, he will turn one on October 16.”

Laki lives with Taupō’s partner, Den and Mark Eddowes, who met the young mother and her family while volunteering in Tuvalu last year. Mark Eddowes is Junior’s godfather.

They invited Laki to stay at their home, as she otherwise would have been living in a bedroom during pregnancy and later with a new baby, Den Eddowes said.

Laki was not entitled to any benefits and, as a non-citizen, was initially faced with paying for all of her medical care. She had insurance as part of her job, but it did not cover pregnancy.

His first appointment with a midwife cost $ 300, but after positive communications with the Tuvalu embassy and Laki’s employer, Hawke’s Bay company Apple, his invoices are now sent to Apple, which is in talks with the Ministry of Cheers, Eddowes said. .

Laki was in no condition to pay his medical bills, Eddowes said.

Tuvalu, one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to rising sea levels, is also one of the poorest in the world, with low wages but high prices for food and other necessities.

Teachers with degrees earn $ 4 an hour. Laki’s husband, who works for the energy corporation, gets $ 2 an hour.

And Laki was stranded in New Zealand through no fault of her own, Eddowes said.

“He wants to be home with his family. This is not his fault. Okay, it’s not New Zealand’s fault either, but we are talking about a baby here and a person’s life.”

She and her husband, who have three grown children, were supporting Laki, whom they considered family.

But all three were also in awe of the support from the community, including the couple’s fishing club, Acacia Bay Fishing and Social Club, and Taupō Pregnancy Help, as well as health services.

They had already been given or loaned various items, such as a bassinet and stroller, and the gift items would be donated to the community once Laki and her baby finally traveled to Tuvalu.

“She is amazed at the care in the community.”

Meanwhile, Eddowes was impressed by Laki’s resilience, bringing new life to the world so far from home and family.

“She is happy and smiling … [the people of Tuvalu] They are incredible. They put everything in God’s hands. “

She hoped Laki’s story would be uplifting for her home country, which is typically in the news for stories about sea level rise threatening her future.

“For this boy, and the people of Tuvalu and the Pasifika community, this is a different story … a feel-good story.”