Simeona Peni . . .

A MAN of whom Samoa may well be proud.

He was born at Funafuti in the Ellice Group, where his father was a Samoan missionary. After schooling at Vaitupu school and at the George V school at Tarawa in the Gilberts, Simeona was sent to the Central Medical School in Fiji. He graduated there and joined the Gilbert and Ellice Islands service as an AMP at the age of 22. His first post was at Funafuti in 1940, and during the succeed ing years he has given distinguished service 1o his profession in the Colony.

He is married to Lise Pedro of the Tokalau Group, of Portuguese descent, and they have one son and four daughters, all of school age.

Simeona has a brother serving as a missionary in the Ellice Group, and his sister is married to a missionary in Samoa. The preparations for the H-bomb at Christmas Island have fo-ced the evacuation of the Gilbertese working there under the direction of the District Officer, Mr.

P. G. Roberts. This has also meant the end of Simeona's tour of duty at Christmas Island,

where he has assisted in organising the Gilbertese into a healthy and happy community and also helped the settlement of the armed services who are there for the Atomic tests, or "Operation Grapple". Simeona is a tall and athletic type, and he regrets that his age (39

years) has forced him to give up football.l is now settling at medical headquartern Tarawa, where he will carry on the good until he eventually retires to farm the fs lands at Moata'a, near Apia in Samoa. —B£

Milder.