In 1980s Auckland there were many New Zealand Samoan children whose first language was not English and who struggled in mainstream classes. One small community of parents and their local school – Richmond Road Primary School – created a Samoan bilingual education vision and brought it to life. They established a unit that would nurture Samoan language and culture, providing children with an opportunity to be immersed and valued in both cultures. Now thirty years on, Mua i Malae remains a thriving centre of learning.