Together, we’ve created something practical, relevant and impactful that brings our shared purpose to life.
Le Va and ProCare have partnered to create a tailored version of Engaging Pasifika, Le Va’s groundbreaking cultural training, designed to strengthen primary care professionals’ connection with Pacific communities in Aotearoa.
The bespoke online module adapts the well-established Engaging Pasifika cultural competency training to meet the specific needs of those working in primary care, equipping GPs, nurses and practise teams with the tools to provide more inclusive and equitable healthcare.
On 14 October, Le Va welcomed ProCare representatives to their Manukau office to celebrate the launch of the programme.
Le Va’s chief executive, Mati Dr Elizabeth Mati, said at the event, “At Le Va, we exist to support people of the moana to unleash their full potential – enabling them to achieve the best possible health and wellbeing outcomes.
“ProCare shares this vision, working to uplift the health and wellbeing of all people in Aotearoa through progressive, proactive and equitable care.
“Together, we’ve created something practical, relevant and impactful, that brings our shared purpose to life.”
ProCare serves the largest Pacific population in Aotearoa, making cultural understanding essential for building trust and delivering quality care.
The free training complements ProCare’s existing Te Pūheke cultural programme and reinforces the organisation’s commitment to equity and connection.
“Strengthening our understanding of Pacific cultures helps us build trust, deliver better care, and support healthier futures,” said Bindi Norwell, ProCare’s Chief Executive.
The launch of Le Va’s Engaging Pasifika for ProCare highlighted both organisations’ dedication to building partnerships that create meaningful change for Pacific communities.
Learn more about ProCare’s Pacific Advisory Committee.
Le Va’s Taryn Hainsworth-Fa’aofo, senior project coordinator for our Public Health and Disability portfolio, has written about her experience as part of the Youth Panel at the 2025 Healthy Futures Summit.
For too long, Pacific people have been viewed through a deficit lens. But the truth is, our communities are rich in solutions, strength and innovation.
“In August, I had the privilege of speaking on the Youth Panel at the Healthy Futures Summit, hosted by Health Coalition Aotearoa. The event brought together passionate advocates, leaders and changemakers from across Aotearoa, all committed to creating a healthier, more equitable future for our communities.
It was an honour to share the stage with my fellow panellists, all of whom are doing incredible and impactful mahi across the sector. During the panel, we each explored current health challenges within Aotearoa, and I spoke on our Pacific communities.
We often hear about Pacific health inequities in Aotearoa, but it’s important to pause and ask why they exist.
Our communities continue to navigate systems that were never designed for us. Colonisation, systemic racism, underinvestment in community-led solutions, and inequities across health, housing, education and income have all contributed to the challenges we see today.
For too long, Pacific people have been viewed through a deficit lens. But the truth is, our communities are rich in solutions, strength and innovation. Despite the barriers, Pacific people consistently report some of the highest rates of family wellbeing in Aotearoa – a powerful reflection of our resilience, connection and collective strength.
As the Samoan proverb reminds us, ‘E fofo e le alamea le alamea’ – the solutions lie within. Our communities hold the knowledge, wisdom and heart to create lasting change.
When asked how to encourage youth leadership, my answer was that we already are leading.
In my role at Le Va, I have the privilege of supporting the Faiva Ora Leadership Group, which is the Chief Pacific Advisory Group to Whaikaha | Ministry of Disabled People.
I sit alongside leaders whose collective expertise spans more than 300 years. While I may bring only a few of my own, those years have been deeply shaped by their guidance, wisdom and service. Leadership isn’t measured in years – it’s measured in impact and heart to serve.
Fa’afetai tele lava to Health Coalition Aotearoa for creating a space where youth voices and leadership could be celebrated and for allowing me to contribute, even in a small way, to such an impactful day.”
“Pacific Nurses: Contributing to the Economy of Care” was theme for the Pacific Nursing Section Symposium and AGM 2024, held in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on 11 October and sponsored by Le Va.
The event brought together several generations of Pacific nurses and inspirational keynote speakers to network and share insights about the current and future state of healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ben Tameifuna, Le Va’s cultural lead and senior manager for public health and disability, opened the day by honouring senior Pasifika nurses with a powerful challenge:
“One of the main priorities for Le Va is to build the capacity and capability of the Pacific public health workforce ensuring we are carrying on the legacy that is already there. Ask yourself what is your legacy?
“What would you like to be remembered for in nursing and what will you leave behind for the next generation of nurses? As the well-known quote goes, ‘What you leave behind is not what is written on your headstone, but what is woven into the lives of others.’”
Sir Collin Tukuitonga, Associate Dean Pacific at the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences at the University of Auckland, and Paul Goulter, Chief Executive Officer of the New Zealand Nursing Organisation, shared valuable insights on leadership and the vital contributions Pacific nurses make to the healthcare sector in Aotearoa.
It was inspiring for our Pacific nurses to be in a room filled with their peers and to hear from those with more than 40 years of experience as well as aspiring nursing students, excited to enter the workforce.
Ana-Malie Poe said, “It really was an honour to be able to experience one of these Symposiums for Pacific Nurses as a student. I was so encouraged and felt so empowered to be surrounded by such amazing, strong Pacific Nurses… Thank you so much for encouraging us students to keep going and knowing we have the most amazing support behind us makes the journey so much more worthwhile, carrying on that legacy.”
Le Va was honoured to support this symposium in collaboration with the Tongan Nurses Association and the Pacific Nursing Section. We look forward to future collaboration in the public health space.
Inclusion, diversity and equity are the bedrock to strengthening collaborative relationships to achieve better health outcomes for all. Supporting the health care system to be culturally safe for Pasifika, our cultural competency training, Engaging Pasifika, is dedicated to ensuring our people feel respected and safe when they interact with the health system. Since 2010, more than 8,500 health and disability workers have completed our training.
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Supporting our non-Pasifika health workforce to enhance their cultural responsiveness is an essential means to improve quality and access to health and disability services. It is a blended learning programme which has both online and face-to-face components that help equip our non-Pasifika health workers with foundational cultural knowledge, the right attitude and skills to authentically engage with Pasifika. A recent refresh of Engaging Pasifika was undertaken to reflect the organic evolution of the programme since inception and to help meet the demand. We are excited about these changes and we thank you for your patience while this was in progress. We are now ready for the New Dawn.
A total of 27 workshops were delivered across New Zealand.
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