Manu grew up on a small island in Tonga, a small nation in itself, in a time where they had no electricity or technologies that we would take for granted today, like TV or cars.  Later he would move to the main island to attend high school and start playing rugby, a sport that is dear to the hearts of many Tongans.  But his rugby ability would prove to be an asset later, when as a 25-year old he moved to Tasmania and rugby proved an outlet to make friends, build his networks and connect with others in the small Pacific Islander community in Tasmania.

Manu now works in the community care sector, assisting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and according to Manu, caring for others in the community is very much a part of the Tongan ethos, where family is central to community life.   But getting to where he is now has been a rough road at times and he talks about discrimination, trouble with the law, losing his job and turning things around through education and how his upbringing instilled his with the qualities of adaptability and resilience.