Pacific people are navigators. Wayfinders. Explorers. Children of the sea. We have crossed vast oceans guided by stars, wind, instinct, and ancestral knowledge passed down in story and song. Our journeys have always been in pursuit of connection, survival, and understanding.
I follow in their wake.
As I prepare to cross oceans from Aotearoa, New Zealand, to study at the University of Leeds, I do so not only as a student, but as a descendant of voyagers who understood that the ocean does not separate us; it connects us. Wan Solwara – one ocean, one people. Water sustains us. It connects us to our ancestors. It is not just a resource, but a living relative. And it is under threat.
Climate change is not abstract for Pacific peoples. It is urgent and deeply personal. Rising sea levels are not just statistics; they are lived realities, threatening our homelands, identities, and futures. This is why I cannot separate my exchange experience from sustainability. I carry more than a suitcase; I carry a commitment to tread lightly, think critically, and act mindfully.
To reduce my environmental footprint, I’ve chosen the most direct, fuel-efficient travel routes and airlines with carbon offsetting initiatives. Once in the UK, I’ll travel by train, bike, or foot, avoiding short-haul flights entirely. I’ll bring reusable water bottles, cutlery and tote bags, shop second-hand, and support local, sustainable food networks such as community co-ops. These practices are not simply habits; they reflect kaitiakitanga, the Pacific principle of guardianship.
But sustainability is not only about emissions. It’s about systems, justice, and responsibility. As a student of Pacific Studies and Sociology, I examine how colonialism, globalisation, and environmental injustice intersect to shape displacement and inequality. I intend to bring these conversations with me, engaging with peers at Leeds on how we can co-create a more just and sustainable world.
This scholarship would support more than an academic experience. It would support the journey of a Pacific student who sees sustainability not as a trend, but as a return to knowledge, to respect, to balance.
My values align strongly with several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption), SDG 11 (Sustainable Communities), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). I believe sustainability means more than reducing waste; it means living with respect, honouring Indigenous knowledge, and building partnerships grounded in equity.
Back in Aotearoa, I’ve grown up surrounded by moana (ocean) and maunga (mountain), rooted in Indigenous values that call us to care, not consume. My journey to Leeds is not an escape from responsibility, it’s an extension of it. Travel, to me, is not just movement; it is a conversation between cultures, a lesson in humility, and a chance to lead by example.
I leave with the ocean to my back, but it never leaves me. I move with purpose. I learn with heart. And I remain connected to my home, to the horizon, and to the one ocean that unites.
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
