When you have a passion for something; you always end up pursuing it.

High Tech Youth Network’s newly appointed Studio Producer, Khosrow Si’isi’ialafia, is the living proof. 

He has been working for a month at High Tech Youth alongside In-Country Programme Manager, Moananu Tyrone Laurenson, in trying to make a difference for the youth with the resources they have.

Recently, he conducted a two-day workshop at its studio in Vaivase. The workshop was to find ideas for the studio’s Samoan name. They have settled for Le Tuiga Studio. 

According to Moananu; Khosrow has been a big help: he’s been tidying up the place; he’s always working on the machines and the computers. He cleans everything from the outside to the rooms. He’s basically done everything.

“We’re trying to develop a day to day schedule for what we can give the kids,” Khosrow said. “So we are trying to encourage the kids to teach themselves rather than us teaching them.

“We also have one committed group that we work with, it’s called the Original Krump Kings and at the moment; we’re setting up our membership online.

“I know at the moment, kids are just playing around with games and we’re okay with that because some of them; this is their first time to work with computers. 

“In the near future we hope to start teaching the kids to get to know how to use all these.”

The 26 year old studio producer has been chasing not only his dream but a passion when he was in secondary school.

He then entered into serving and volunteering for different youth programmes for a while before he landed a job at the Ministry of Women in the Division for Youth.

“I started from Robert Louis Secondary and then ended up in the National University of Samoa. I wasn’t able to complete my foundation level but with all the experience I was able to pick up, I found work at the Ministry of Women. 

“I worked there for two years and then this year I decided to move to High Tech because of what it offered. My passion was in working with youth as well as film production and with the Division for Youth; I was limited due to my own role. We had our own Audio Video Division so I couldn’t do much. 

“But here at High Tech I can do both so I wanted to pursue a passion that was: working with youth and at the same time working on film productions.”

Khosrow believed the opportunity presented by High Tech was definitely an opening for him.

“High Tech was an agreement between our government and New Zealand; and it had two core participants: Ministry of Women and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. So working with the Ministry of Women, I was put into consultations with High Tech so I just followed around, I even followed my seniors and that’s how I found out about High Tech. Then Tyrone told me there was an opening and I jumped into it without any question.

“I guess when you have a passion for something you’ll always pursue it no matter your shortcomings.”

Khosrow is really happy and at the same time thankful for all the experience that the ministry had given him.

“When I was working in the ministry I learned a lot and I think that I learn faster if it’s practical. It was a really good experience because you’re able to work with youth at a national level.

“I used to go to a lot of ministries. I used to get invited to a lot of youth seminars for the Ministry of Women and as it being my passion I was also blessed to be selected on an adult committee informing the Samoa National Youth Council as well as designing the logo; so that kept me going .

“Working with the Ministry of Women gave me a whole experience on how we should be working as a national community to connecting with youth all around Samoa. 

“And now that I’m with High Tech, we just got started with my first project and that was the workshop that we just did last week. 

“You know it really supported me as well as giving me the opportunity to also produce my own short films which was what I wanted to do when I was in the ministry.

“I’m hoping to continue on in the future. I feel that High Tech is a doorway for me to achieve what I’m chasing and that is both with youth as well as filming.

“We have a facebook page called Le Tuiga Studio. So the discussions are based around Samoans being unique so I think the vision I’m trying to work towards is how I can promote and push the young people in achieving that goal of being unique and producing projects so that they are able to earn money.”

Some of the students and members that participated in the workshop had a fun experience.

One of them name Ferila Purcell came to just observe at first but she ended up becoming part of the team.

“I didn’t come here with a purpose. I just came to observe but when Khosrow mentioned that they needed a volunteer, I became a volunteer here. I’ve been here for a month and two weeks, it was an experience that I’ve never had before in my life. I mean working together with others is actually a good experience because you get to have open minded conversations about how to use different applications on the computers and any other related matters in the studio

Also another student name Elvina Tuiletufuga said she enjoyed helping out in teaching some of the little kids on how to use different programmes.

“So the workshop was really good, we got to talk about filming. You know my answer for filming would be like; you know people tell their stories and then connect it to the world. It’s not something I want to pursue as a career but this is one of my interests.”