Tongan-born Malia 'o Lotolua 'Ulu'ave Ma'u (22) who is searching for her father's family, is about to return to New Zealand disappointed that she could find no relatives in Tonga after a two months long search.

Malia is looking for any information regarding her father Visesio 'Ulu'ave, whom she lost contact with after she migrated to New Zealand when she was four-years-old, with her birth mother Fane Ma'u and a younger brother.

Malia arrived in Tonga in August with only a few photographs of her father and his name written on a piece of paper. She said this was the only information her mother gave her, including his name and that he lived at Fasi, while running a motel back in the days. "She told me that he had already passed away."

"I have checked with the Registry Office in Nuku'alofa for his death certificate but they had no record of him and I have just been talking to people by chance but no one knew anything," she said.

Malia was born in Tongatapu. "I have my Tongan birth certificate and it has my father's name on it, so I came to Tonga because I want to get closure and to confirm for myself that my father is dead and where he is buried so I can visit him. I also want to find out if I have any siblings on his side or to meet anyone from his family would be great," she said.

Malia said her personal search is equally important to her as it is to her younger brother who is named after their father. "As a young woman growing up and living in New Zealand it is important for me to know more about my Tongan identity," she said.

She grew up in Christchurch but now lives on her own in Auckland, where she works in the retail business and had some money saved up before she decided to come to Tonga.

"I didn't have many expectations but I thought I would find something since Nuku'alofa is such a small town and someone would know something, but I have had no such luck in the past two months," she said.

Malia who has been living with a Tongan family at 'Atenisi was working part-time at the Tonga Post Cafe.

"I am ready to go home in a few-weeks time but I would really like to meet anyone from my father's family before I go," she said.

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