Real Life

Weekly people: “I’m a fairy godmother!”

Modern fairy godmother, Yvonne Taufa-Falealili, grants school ball wishes.
Weekly People: "I'm a fairy godmother"

She doesn’t carry a wand or turn mice into chauffeurs, but Yvonne Taufa-Falealili is a fairy godmother to many young women struggling to attend their school balls.

Last year, the South Auckland based youth worker started the Cinderellas Project to help local high school students who can’t afford gorgeous outfits for their school formals. The fledgling charity lends out gowns and shoes to the girls and helps with their hair and make-up.

“The memories that the ball gives these girls are everlasting and it’s an experience that shouldn’t be missed,” says Yvonne, a former Miss Tonga NZ.

“The ball doesn’t just end at that one night. Girls rave and talk about it for weeks after and the momentum carries on for the rest of the school year.

“Many of these girls come from hard backgrounds and it’s the one time of year they feel confident and get to dress up like princesses.”

Yvonne has been overwhelmed by donations, including 50 pairs of new shoes courtesy of local brand Ziera.

It was during her work with youth that Yvonne (25) discovered many of her young clients felt embarrassed because their families were going through financial hardship and money for a ball dress wasn’t a priority.

“I was lucky that I got to go to my own ball and because I’ve also got four little sisters, I was able to help them prepare for their balls and help them find their dresses,” says Yvonne, whose younger sisters range in age from 18 to 24.

“I wanted to be like a big sister to other girls and help them too. I started out using the eight prom-style dresses I had at home and that gradually grew.”

Settling on a name for her newly formed charity, which Yvonne runs from her workplace in South Auckland, was easy.

“The Cinderellas Project was perfect because in the end, the godmother helps Cinderella go to the ball. I feel like I’m a fairy godmother!

“Seeing the transformation is really rewarding. Most of the girls come in with their heads down and they are really shy.

“We fuss over them, help them find that perfect dress and then they walk out of here with their heads held high and huge smiles on their faces.”

The youth worker had her own Cinderella moment in February when she married Ben, alongside 11 bridesmaids.

This year, Yvonne has waved her wand over 20 local girls and even helped a girl from Rotorua. She travelled to Auckland after hearing about Yvonne and hoped she’d be able to make her ball night magical.

Yvonne’s hard work has attracted support from around the country and high-profile individuals and businesses have given goods. Locally owned shoe company Ziera has donated 50 free pairs of shoes, which were being delivered on the day of our photoshoot.

“This is a true community initiative so it feels awesome to have people from the corporate world wanting to help” says Yvonne, as boxes and boxes of leather heels are unpacked.

“Now I’ve got so many dresses – I stopped counting when we reached 100!”

Yvonne had 11 bridesmaids at her February wedding.

Yvonne had her own Cinderella moment in February when she married her perfect match Ben (25) in a romantic ceremony in Auckland. She says it was her dream wedding – the blushing bride was flanked by 11 bridesmaids.

“I felt like a princess,” says Yvonne, who met her husband, an American youth worker, through mutual friends.

“Afterwards, I was able to donate my 11 bridesmaids dresses to the Cinderellas Project, but I’m not ready to part with my wedding dress yet!”

Yvonne is gearing up for next year’s ball season and hopes to expand her charity to other parts of the country.

She says she is fortunate to have her very own fairy godmother in her mum Ilaise, who raised 10 children, including six girls.

“She was a stay-at-home mum while my father worked two jobs to support us. My mother made sure that we all experienced the ball and that we had our dresses.

“Because we were such a big family, we had to make a lot of sacrifices. That’s when I learned to appreciate the simple things in life. I know how tough it can be in life and that’s why I want to inspire other young women to feel special and confident about themselves.”

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