Testimony From The Past – by Javiera Alarcón Ossa
Irma Inés Riroroko Paoa, better known by her middle name Ines, was born on August 20th, 1961 in Rapa Nui. Her parents, Roberto Riroroko Teao and Magdalena Paoa Avaka, were fundamental figures in her life. Roberto worked as a sheepherder from a young age and became foreman of Vaitea, until the company passed to CORFO. Magdalena, known for her leadership, founded the first mothers’ center on the island, fostering unity and learning among local women, teaching them skills such as weaving and sewing. They met at a very young age and formed a loving family of foster children and three biological children. Isaac Rodolfo Paoa, Carmen Pakarati, Amalia Atan “Lucia”, Rodolfo Jr. and Mike Rapu grew up under the care and kindness of Magdalena, who had Roberto, Maria and Ines, completing the family nucleus.
Inés spent her early years in Rapa Nui, she fondly remembers her childhood in the family home located in Ara Roa Rakei: “My neighborhood was like a big family; if we didn’t have sugar, we borrowed, and when we could, we gave back. Everything was shared, it was beautiful. No one was ashamed to ask for or to give. The afternoons when families exchanged food, such as meat, sweet potato and rice, strengthened the bonds of a community that she says yearns, as her mother used to say, “to love the neighbor above all.” The values of respect, care for elders and children were pillars in her upbringing, which she says was part of her own culture and her mother passed it on to her. Inés also enjoyed listening to music at home, especially remembering songs by Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton: “That music transports me and makes me remember the best moments and a nice time on the island.”.
At the age of ten, Inés’s life took an unexpected turn when she moved to the mainland to continue her studies. Her mother wisely told her: “Someday you will have to fly to learn”. In Santiago, Inés was welcomed by a young couple whom her mother had received as tourists on the island during their vacation. For Inés, that gesture symbolized the deep bond that existed between islanders and visitors from the mainland. At the time, it was common for Rapa Nui families to request errands or favors from those who came to visit, generating relationships of trust and gratitude that often opened up new opportunities. “I liked the continent from the beginning. It was a middle-class family, we lived in Irarrázaval, and they treated me like a daughter.” She recalls fondly of how they stressed that she should not detach from her culture, encouraging that calls with her family would always be in Rapa Nui language and to not abandon dancing at school.
She attended the Swiss School, where she faced the challenge of adapting to a different environment. “It was difficult at first, but I learned to stay firm and proud of my identity”, her friend to this day Rosalba Herrera taught her Spanish and the slang to adapt herself. She remembers that in those years she approached to Vicki Nahoe who coincidentally lived in front of her school, it was a surprise to meet a Rapa Nui in the continent. She entered high school Liceo 1 de Niñas, where she focused on technical studies related to kindergarten education. These years deeply marked her character and allowed her to acquire tools that she would later use in her professional life.
Back on the island in 1979, Inés found her vocation in community care as a kindergarten teacher. At that time there were only two of them and she entered to do her internship. After a trip to Tahiti, she worked at the state’s foster home, where she developed a firm but loving parenting style. Her dedication left indelible traces, from organizing educational activities to instilling discipline in the children. “She always told the children, ‘With respect and effort, everything can be achieved.’ I think those words stayed with them,” Inés comments. She remembers instances when the children were reluctant to return to their homes, preferring the warmth and structure of the community’s foster home where she worked.
In her personal life, Inés married Victor Tuki Make in 1982, forming a family based on love and collaboration. Together they faced the challenges of raising their two children, balancing Rapa Nui traditions with the demands of the modern world. Although she acknowledges having prioritized the learning of Spanish over their language, she wisely reflects on her decisions as a mother: “It was a mistake not to teach them more Rapa Nui language, but I always transmitted to them the love for our culture and values”. They lived in the district of Maipú, where Inés managed to transform their neighborhood into a united community. “I managed to get 13 families to know each other,” she recalls proudly. This happened thanks to one of her daughters, who could not stand the steel enclosure gates and went out to play in the squares and neighboring houses, just as she did on the island. Her way of integrating the others brought about an atmosphere of closeness and cooperation in the neighborhood. Today Ines enjoys her grandchildren, her four kings and one queen, as she calls them.
Professionally Inés has promoted for over 25 years initiatives that strengthen women’s development in PRODEMU foundation, uniting generations of women and drawing a parallel with the legacy of her mother, who led the mothers’ center in Rapa Nui. “It’s as if everything connects,” Inés reflects. “My mother’s example, her love for people and her ability to unite, are things I have tried to transmit in my life and in my work.” Today, she looks back on her story with pride, aware that she has preserved the unique values of her land while contributing to the well-being of her family and Rapa Nui.
