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As more parts of life become heavily reliant on digital forms of communication, access to reliable and accurate information is crucial.

For Le Va CEO Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave, tackling the digital divide is close to the NGO’s heart of leaving no-one behind and helping Pasifika families and communities unleash their full potential.

She said many Pasifika do not have access to the internet, data or smartphones. And it’s not just the elderly.

“During our first Covid-19 lockdown and changing alert levels, there was heightened anxiety, worry and fear gnawing at our people. That was exacerbated by the barriers we face in accessing up-to-date official information on what was happening, how to stay safe and where to get help.”

Gaps in digital access

With funding from the Ministry of Health, Le Va is collaborating with Pasifika community services to address the gaps to access, affordability and digital literacy.

In their dialogue with the community and local services, many who did have devices could not afford data or were on a plan that could not meet the needs of the family, particularly for education.

“The scale of the problem is staggering,” says Denise. “People found themselves shut in their homes, socially isolated and not knowing what was happening in the outside world.”

Collaborating with SWPICST

In partnership with South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services Trust, Le Va’s Digital Inclusion programme was piloted at Tokoroa’s local library in December. Smartphones and tablets were provided to members of the community identified to be in need, and customised 10-week workshops helped those who had never used a device set up and go digital.

The results have been promising in addressing not just the digital but also the intergenerational divide.

“When I was asked to be part of the programme so that I can connect with our people, not just in Tokoroa, but right around the country, I was so happy!” says an elderly gentleman. “Pasifika culture is embedded in connectedness and community. We understand that many things can drive generations apart, but technology doesn’t have to be one of them,” Denise says.

What’s next?

Due to the overwhelming success of the programme, it is now being rolled out nationwide to rural areas with Pasifika communities.

The delivery of Le Va’s national Engaging Pasifika Cultural Competency programme commenced in 2009.

To date, over 6 400 health workers have completed the programme, 900 of which were delivered in 2019-2020 alone. This year during COVID lockdown level 4 restrictions, EPLive Online Webinar was launched where 176 health workers completed the programme.

The New Zealand Health profile shows that Pasifika is generally featured disproportionately compared to the rest of the nation. Developing a diverse health workforce that reflects the regional population served is one of many ways to address this, however, this takes time. Supporting mainstream workers and services to enhance their cultural responsiveness is another way and is recognised as an essential means to reduce ethnic disparities in access, quality and outcomes for health and disability services. Research commissioned by the Ministry of Health on how to best meet the needs of Pasifika young people with disabilities identified cultural competency of workers and services as part of the solution in providing a better quality of care for the young person and their family.

Engaging Pasifika 2019-2020 infographic

Le Va’s Futures That Work scholarships has funded 632 Pasifika students with their tertiary studies.

The purpose of the Futures That Work Scholarships is to increase the capacity and capability of the Pasifika mental health and addiction workforce through supported upskilling, to successful and timely completion rates of qualifications, accompanied by a mentoring component.

The Futures That Work Scholarship is made up of three phases:
• Get your fees paid – up to 100 per cent of health course fees are paid to the recipient’s tertiary provider and/or contributed to their student loan.
• Get your study sorted – pastoral care, cultural support, educational support, spiritual and peer support are offered.
• Get your dream job – career planning, and connection with employers is offered.

Le Va recognises that it is more than just giving out study scholarships, but more about supporting recipients to successfully complete and do well in their studies, but also providing mentoring support, and advice on how to get the right job that, in turn, will benefit our Pasifika communities. To celebrate the success of our recipients, Le Va hosts an annual Futures That Work scholarship awards dinner. This is an opportunity to highlight the success of our award Pasifika recipients alongside their families and supports from within the community. For our 2020 recipients, Le Va is working toward viable options to host this event once again, ensuring our families and communities remain safe during COVID-19. Congratulations to all our award recipients and the contribution you all make, enabling our Pasifika communities to flourish.