Bula Vinaka mo Halo olgeta! Yumi Talanoa, Yumi Storian! Yumi Tok Stori
Join Meiva Vuniwai and Gabrielle Tor of the MWT Health Team on their podcast, Riding the Wave, as they explore mental health in Melanesia. As Indigenous Melanesian women, they share unique truths, personal stories, and pathways to hope, speaking from both professional knowledge and lived cultural experience.
The hosts bring a powerful combination of professional knowledge and real-world understanding
Gabrielle Tor holds a Master of Clinical Psychology, a B.Sc. in Psychology, and leads the MWT Health Team.
Meiva Vuniwai holds a Master’s in Counseling & Psychotherapy and a Bachelor of Public Health as a core member of the MWT Health Team.
Episode 4: Breast & Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign
In this episode of Riding the Wave, hosts Gabrielle Tor and Elsie Polosovai, filling in for Mevia Vuniwai, launch our Breast & Ovarian Cancer Awareness Campaign alongside expert guests Dr. Margaret Tarere Lehi (Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Vanuatu) and Dr. Nanise Sikiti (Gynecological Oncologist, Fiji). Aligning directly with our campaign's target, this episode works to raise awareness of breast and ovarian cancers in Melanesian populations while shedding light on severe disparities in women’s health across the region and exploring actionable community solutions.
Episode 3: We Already Belong: Unpacking Colourism in Melanesia
In this episode of Riding the Wave, host Meiva Vuniwai and co-host Gabrielle Tor are joined by special guest Elsie Polosovai — Miss Solomon Islands 2024–2025, actress, and emergency medical dispatcher — for a rich and honest conversation about colourism in Melanesian communities. Together, they explore how skin tone bias shows up in subtle, everyday ways: in family jokes, social media, beauty standards, and the language we inherit. They reflect on the deep connection between colourism and mental health, the colonial roots of these beauty ideals, and the power of representation and intergenerational awareness. The episode ends on a note of pride and empowerment, reminding young Melanesians that they don't need to fit a narrow definition of beauty — because they already belong.
Episode 2: Rooted in Strength True Self-Confidence & the 3 L's of Melanesian Identity
Riding the Waves redefines self-confidence through a Melanesian lens, moving beyond individualism to explore its collective and cultural foundations. Hosts Gabrielle Tor and Meiva Vuniwai examine how true confidence is anchored in identity, specifically through Land, Language, and Lineage.
These “3 L’s” are presented not as abstract ideas, but as living pillars of belonging. The discussion addresses challenges such as displacement, language erosion, and historical dislocation, while focusing on pathways to reconnection and reclamation.
We are honored to feature Dr. Tarisi Sorovi-Vunidilo, a distinguished Fijian archaeologist and curator, whose work in preserving Indigenous Pacific heritage illuminates how our stories encode resilience and foster an enduring, rooted confidence.
Episode 1: Intergenerational Trauma
Join Gabrielle Tor and Meiva Vuniwai as they bring their clinical expertise and cultural wisdom to this vital discussion. They'll explore:
-The misconceptions about trauma.
-How trauma connects to our identity—our language, skin color, and hair texture.
-The patterns people are actively working to break.
-What everyone should know about the path to healing.