Tongan creative and PMSA intern Soana ‘Aleva shares her powerful reflections from Thailand, where she has been living, learning, and teaching as part of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Programme for Asia. From drumming and dancing with Thai performing arts groups to teaching Māori movement after school, Soana’s journey is a vibrant story of cultural exchange, global citizenship, and Pacific creativity in motion.

Her time in southern Thailand has deepened her sense of identity, expanded her worldview, and strengthened her belief in the value of carrying Pacific culture confidently into global spaces. In this insights piece, Soana reflects on the connections she has built, the lessons she has learned, and the ancestral intelligence she brings with her as a young Pacific leader representing Aotearoa abroad.