After decades of limited sight, Makalika can see clearly again
Makalika is from Tokelau, a small and remote Pacific nation with a population of just over 1,200 people. With limited medical facilities, access to specialist eye care is a major challenge.
For most of her adult life, Makalika has lived with limited sight. In the 1970s, an accidental injury caused trauma to her eye. From that moment on, her vision never fully recovered. Over time, it continued to worsen. She visited eye clinics when she could, but treatment was never available.
Despite this, Makalika continued to care for her family as much as she could and play an active role in her community.
She is a mother of nine. Four of her children have passed away, and today she lives in Tokelau with her son Joe, his husband, and their children. She is a member of a local women’s community, where women come together daily to support village life through weaving and shared work.
Moving around the village alone felt unsafe, and attending church outside daylight hours was nearly impossible. Her grandchildren often guided her where she needed to go.
In August 2024, a team of eye care professionals from the Pacific Eye Institute (PEI) in Suva, Fiji visited Tokelau to conduct eye screenings.
With no specialist eye care available in Tokelau, she had to travel more than 24 hours by boat to Samoa. Plus, with only one boat every two weeks between Samoa and Tokelau, she would need to stay in Samoa for at least one month to complete the operations and post-surgery check-ups before returning home.
Later that year, with support from The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, the governments of Tokelau and Samoa worked together to make Makalika’s surgery possible. Along with a group of 27 Tokelauan patients, she was would travel to Samoa, where the PEI and local Samoan teams could perform the eye care surgeries.
The Tokelau government provided a small allowance to help cover living costs during the month-long stay. Patients brought food with them to help make ends meet, but the financial pressure remained.
Makalika’s son Joe travelled with her to provide care and support. To do so, he had to resign from his job as a seaman, with only two weeks’ notice.
“It’s pretty tough,” Joe said.
This was the first surgery of Makalika’s life. As she waited for her bandage to be removed, she felt a mix of excitement and anticipation.
“She was looking forward to her surgery,” Joe said. “And now she can’t wait to take off the bandage. She just wanted to see the result.”
Now, Makalika is looking forward to returning home. She is excited to read again — her prayer books, her Bible, and the agenda items at women’s community meetings. She looks forward to weaving with confidence and moving around her village independently.
Most of all, she is excited to see her grandchildren clearly for the first time.
Makalika hopes her story helps people in New Zealand understand how difficult access to healthcare can be for people living in remote Pacific communities — and how life-changing it can be when care is finally within reach.
She also hopes that one day, others in her family and community will be able to receive the same treatment, without having to travel so far to see clearly again.
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