Anastasia (Tassoula) Despotaki

Tasoula was born in 1941 in the small mountainous village of Kakopetros, in Western Crete. Official records show her birth date in 1942 but this was war times and often records were not kept accurately. Her father’s war injuries meant he could not support fully his family, and she and her siblings were unable to finish school as they had to go out to fieldwork as day labourers. She was 22 years old when she came to NZ in 1963. She joined her sister who had migrated a year before. Her husband, who comes from the same village, came later as part of a marriage arrangement. Initially she worked as hospital cleaner.

Tasoula and her siblings were raised in a village where children were expected to work from a young age, helping their parents with various tasks such as farming and animal care. They had no time for play or leisure, and their life was devoid of the typical joys of childhood, such as toys or games.

The family lived in a small house with their grandparents and an unmarried aunt. The house was cramped and unhygienic, with animals living inside. Despite their best efforts to keep it clean, the conditions were far from ideal… Read more here...