People of The Patch - Community Stories

rachel49472
7 days ago
2 min read

Meet Meagan Alanotama: The Mama, the Multitasker, the “Get Sh!t Done” Wahine

If you’ve spent any time around Taro Patch Creative, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Meagan Alanotama, a true powerhouse who switches roles like it’s light work. She’s running a growing whānau, juggling three trades, diving into the arts, and still managing to uplift everyone around her.

Who I Am

“I’m a wanna-be self-made entrepreneur juggling three different trades, health & fitness, construction, and for the last 1.5 years, the arts. I’m living my hardest but best life with my hubby, two kids, and one more on the way. I love being versatile, learning something new every day, and switching between my Mama potae and my entrepreneur potae like it’s an Olympic sport.

On a serious note, I’m a driven, hardworking wahine who absolutely adores her whānau and the communities I get to serve. It’s been a grind, but getting to work in spaces that enrich the lives of others makes every hard day worth it.”

If you know Meagan, you know the rep: “I am known for my ‘get sh!t done’ attitude, my ability to communicate well, my loveable personality and the high standards I hold myself too.”

How I Connected With Taro Patch Creative

“Depends who you ask. If you ask Vea and Bubsie, they’ll probably say we were the annoying neighbours upstairs at BFT Papatoetoe who kept dropping barbells and causing chaos and all kinds of havoc! But if you ask me, we connected through our shared love of serving the community. And obviously because I was just so loveable they couldn’t resist bringing me into the fold, at the Patch!”

So what keeps Meagan coming back? “Apart from paid employment, nah jokes aside, honestly, working with the Mafile’o siblings (Ema, Vea, Rob and Bubsie) has been amazing, I have not met a group of siblings so determined to love and serve their communities through their love and passion for the arts. Each of them is so different but brings their absolute A Game of service to everything they do. Their tautua is admirable. This is what keeps bringing me back. Even when they like to change things at the 11th hour…”

What I Love About the Patch

“Every day is different and every week our canvas, our walls change. Does it cause my OCD to go into overdrive? YES! But I wouldn't have it any other way.”

If Meagan had to sum up the vibe:

“Whanau. Alofa. Service.”

A Bit of the Fun Stuff

Outside of mahi, Meagan keeps it simple and grounded:

“The simple things, time with whānau, catch-ups with friends, and solid hyena belly laughs with a gin in hand. Also, for fun, I punish myself at BFT Papatoetoe.”

Home will always taste like: “My Aunty’s homemade chicken and rice soup and her pisupo with falai kapisi saiga and laisa and my Mum’s Koko laisa.”

And the curveball: “I am half Korean. People would never guess that.”