The latest provisional suicide data released by the Chief Coroner and Te Whatu Ora show that while overall Aotearoa rate of suspected self-inflicted deaths has not changed significantly, Māori and Pacific peoples continue to experience the highest levels of distress and loss.
For Māori, the rate of suspected self-inflicted deaths has increased slightly, reminding us that inequities persist. Each life lost represents immeasurable mamae for whānau, hapū and iwi across the motu. This ongoing pattern highlights the urgent need to strengthen Māori-led solutions grounded in whakapapa, whanaungatanga and manaakitanga.
Le Va’s Mana Akiaki: LifeKeepers for Māori training supports communities to protect and uplift each other through culturally grounded suicide prevention training and resources – led by Māori, for Māori. When our people are equipped to notice distress, connect and respond in mana-enhancing ways, lives are saved.
For Pacific communities, the data show rates that remain steady. Behind these numbers are families, churches and villages who continue to carry deep grief and also powerful resilience. Le Va’s FLO: Pasifika for Life and Mānava Ola: LifeKeepers for Pacific trainings strengthen the protective factors within Pacific culture – connection, faith and family – that help keep our communities safe.
“These statistics remind us that suicide prevention must continue to be led from within our communities” says Tiana Watkins, Senior Manager at Le Va.
“To make lasting change, every part of the system – health, education, justice and social service – must work together so that prevention is stitched into the fabric of how we care for our people.”
Learn more about LifeKeepers and FLO: Pasifika for Life.
If you or someone you know is in distress, help is available 24/7: Call or text 1737 to speak with a trained counsellor.
‘Wayfinders of the Digital Moana’ is a Pasifika-inspired story written by Iaheto Ah Hi, a New Zealand author and actor of Samoan and Tokelauan descent.
Created to inspire and support members of Le Va’s Mana Restore Discord server, the digital novel is an innovative concept that continues the kaupapa of supporting the mental wellbeing of Pasifika online gamers.
The story follows characters Maui, Celeste and their crew as they confront fractured families, digital bullying, resilience and the mysteries of an online world.
Blending rhythm, technology and ancestral wisdom, the book offers an engaging narrative designed to resonate with young people and support wellbeing through story.
Mana Restore members can take part in this journey – read the daily episodes, participate in upcoming ‘live’ readings, share their reflections in the community, and connect with others on the chat threads.
Every chapter offers a chance to explore new ideas and contribute to the growing Mana Restore community on Discord.
If you are a gamer wanting to find a balance between time online and other activities that boost your wellbeing, join the Mana Restore Discord Server to become part of the movement and access ‘Wayfinders of the Digital Moana’ now.
Thank you sincerely for ensuring people like me are equipped to support others in their time of need. Every life matters, and because of this kaupapa, more lives are being met with compassion, connection, and hope.
LifeKeepers is Le Va’s national suicide prevention training programme, created especially for communities in Aotearoa New Zealand to support those who may be at risk of suicide to get the help they need.
Recently, one of our LifeKeepers participants reached out to share the impact our National Suicide Prevention Training had on their life and work. With their kind permission, we’re honoured to share part of their story.
“I recently completed the LifeKeepers training and found it incredibly well put together, comprehensive, thoughtful, and accessible to many different learning styles. It provided practical tools and resources, along with confronting statistics that reinforced just how vital this work is to preserving life.
“I have been directly affected by suicide. In my role, it’s critical to be equipped not just to support others with empathy and care, but to recognise and respond to signs in our own mental wellbeing, too. This training has strengthened my confidence in both areas.”
Shortly after completing the training, this learner received a heartfelt gesture, a bouquet of flowers and a handwritten card from someone they had recently supported.
“That moment left a strong impression on me, and I wanted to pass that gratitude forward. Thank you sincerely for ensuring people like me are equipped to support others in their time of need. Every life matters, and because of this kaupapa, more lives are being met with compassion, connection, and hope.”
If you would like to experience the LifeKeepers journey for yourself or know someone who could benefit from it, you can learn more on our website: www.lifekeepers.nz
We don’t bring the answers, we bring our hands. Our job is not to lead the work, but to walk with those who already are.” – Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave
Pacific Population Health Summit 2025 | Garapan, Saipan | 16–18 June 2025
Earlier this month, four members of our Le Va team had the profound honour of travelling to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands to attend and contribute to the inaugural Pacific Population Health Summit, with the theme of ‘Navigating Pathways Through the Pacific: Building Healthier and Stronger Island Communities.’
Sponsored to present, be keynote speakers and deliver suicide prevention training, Le Va’s small but mighty contingent from Aotearoa was privileged to share in talanoa and learning alongside passionate changemakers from across the Blue Continent.
Our team
Representing Le Va were chief executive Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave, Pasifika equity lead Pakilau o Aotearoa Manase Lua, and senior managers for suicide prevention Leilani Clarke and Tiana Watkins. Each brought a depth of cultural knowledge, lived experience and professional leadership in suicide prevention and mental wellbeing. The strength of their presence went beyond their knowledge and expertise, manifested in their shared commitment to cultural integrity, aroha and collective uplift.
Keynotes, talanoa and wānanga
Denise and Pakilau opened the event with a powerful plenary session titled ‘Culture and Wellness’, weaving insights into the enduring value of Indigenous ways of knowing and doing, and how they must sit at the centre of any sustainable wellbeing system. Their talanoa echoed throughout the summit, reverberating through sessions on healing, data equity and behavioural health.
Leilani and Tiana participated in the panel session ‘Addressing Suicide Prevention Strategies in the Blue Continent’, where they presented on Le Va’s LifeKeepers and FLO: Pasifika for Life suicide prevention programmes. Their contributions highlighted the critical importance of aligning clinical safety with cultural and community responsiveness. The kōrero was both sobering and inspiring, shedding light on the persistent suicide rates across Pacific nations while uplifting the strength of collective action, cultural reconnection and enduring hope.
Together, Leilani and Tiana brought forward voices grounded in the va – relationships, connection, and sacred space. They reminded us that suicide prevention does not begin within systems alone, but in the everyday spaces that shape our lives: the home, the village, the church, the school. Their kōrero affirmed that lived stories carry the same weight as data, and that community wisdom must sit at the heart of any meaningful response to suicide.
Mana Akiaki: LifeKeepers for Māori
After the summit, more than twenty first responders and crisis response workers gathered with intention and purpose to participate in Mana Akiaki: LifeKeepers for Māori training. Our team delivered this full-day training to showcase how suicide prevention can be meaningfully grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and relational practice. Their hope was to witness firsthand how a culturally tailored programme could look and feel, so they might explore how to do the same for the rich diversity of their own island communities across the Pacific.
The wairua in the room was deeply felt and participants honoured the kaupapa with humility and fierce dedication, many moved to tears by the cultural integrity of the programme and how closely it resonated with their own Indigenous worldviews. The sharing was raw, real and restorative, reminding us all that cultural identity is not just a foundation for wellbeing, but a powerful pathway to healing.
The ties that bind
This journey reminded us that although our island homes are scattered across vast oceans, our roots run deep and are interwoven. Whether in Saipan, Aotearoa, Samoa, Guam, Tonga, or Hawai‘i, our ancestors speak through us and our shared struggles and strengths call us to act collectively.
Our heartfelt thanks to the CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), the Pacific Behavioral Health Collaborating Council, and all those who made this summit possible. Si yu’us ma’ase, ghilisow, fa’afetai tele lava, malo ‘aupito, ngā mihi nui.
As Denise said in her closing words, “We don’t bring the answers, we bring our hands. Our job is not to lead the work, but to walk with those who already are.”
Over the past two months, our LifeKeepers journey has taken our team across the motu to Huntly, Manukau, Ōtaki, Rotorua, Tauranga, Hamilton and Papakura – each visit a reminder of the strength and heart within our communities.
From heartfelt kōrero to moments of deep reflection, our team is grateful to everyone who welcomed them and leaned into the suicide prevention wānanga with openness and courage.
Here is what some participants had to say about our LifeKeepers and Mana Akiaki trainings:
“Faafetai Le Va LifeKeepers for your kaupapa. It has given me knowledge and awareness about a topic that is hurting our family and community.”
“Great workshop, yummy kai, loved that we danced to whakanoa. Followed tikanga practices, karakia, whakawhanaungatanga, manaakitanga.”
“I came in with an outcome I wanted to achieve and I got it. Kei te mihi ki a kōrua mō tō kaupapa.”
“I am feeling confident in responding to critical situations, gained knowledge and skills to deal with emergency situations related to suicide.”
We look forward to continuing this important mahi and strengthening connections within our communities.
Upcoming training opportunities
Our July to December training calendar will be live in the first week of July, keep an eye on lifekeepers.nz for upcoming trainings in your region. We’re especially looking forward to connecting with communities across the South Island in the months ahead!
If you’re unable to attend in person, our free online training offers a flexible alternative you can complete anytime, at your own pace.
Le Va’s FLO: Pasifika for Life suicide prevention team released two important reports at our Global Pacific Solutions 2025 conference – the Aunty Dee ‘Community Insights Summary’ highlighting this powerful digital support tool, and ‘Empowering Pasifika Communities’ focusing on how community-led solutions can strengthen wellbeing.
Aunty Dee Community Insights Summary report
Aunty Dee is a free online self-help tool designed by Le Va primarily for Pasifika young people, guiding users through a process of structured problem solving that is clinically safe, culturally grounded and accessible to all.
The report highlights the transformational journey of the Aunty Dee tool across more than four years, as it has supported thousands of Pasifika people in Aotearoa through tough times.
It focuses on the problem statements of more than 1,500 Pasifika users of the Aunty Dee tool from March 2016 to December 2021, exploring differences between genders and age groups.
From its reach into our communities to insights on how digital tools can bridge support for those less likely to access face-to-face services, the report highlights how innovation, compassion, and culture can work hand in hand to improve mental wellbeing.
It is our intention that this report ensures Aunty Dee users can engage with and reflect on the collective insights gathered. We honour every voice, every user and every champion who helped shape Aunty Dee into a trusted space of hope and clarity.
Empowering Pasifika Communities report
“E fofō e le alamea le alamea” – the solutions for our issues lie within our own communities.
‘Empowering Pasifika Communities: Strengthening Wellbeing Through Community-Led Solutions’ is a report that encompasses the collective wisdom, innovation, dedication and unwavering commitment of our Pasifika communities across Aotearoa.
The report acknowledges their crucial role in advancing suicide prevention efforts through Le Va’s Pasifika Suicide Prevention Community Fund, with $3.55M invested across 41 groups and engaging more than 590,000 people from April 2020 to May 2024.
It celebrates community-led approaches that are culturally grounded, clinically safe, family-centred and sustainable, equipping our Pasifika families and community members with innovative solutions to enhance mental health and wellbeing.
We believe we all have a part to play in suicide prevention and we share this report to acknowledge and uplift the resilience and strength of Pasifika peoples within Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring that the work done within these communities is recognised and celebrated.
Le Va would like to thank every fund recipient, champion and community member who helped shape this vital work, equipping all vaka of tagata moana to unite and ignite hope using our cultural tools as lifelines.
Day One
In the Roots of Resilience stream our aim was to discover ancestral insights for preventing suicide and to empower and equip Pasifika communities with culturally relevant knowledge and tools to prevent suicide and respond safely and effectively when a suicide occurs.
In this talanoa of suicide prevention, the Roots of Resilience stream opened with Matua Witi’s deep reflections on indigenous storytelling.
Matua Witi equipped the audience to explore how indigenous storytelling and whakapapa (genealogy) can strengthen communities to confront and prevent suicide. Matua Witi highlighted how gossip often precedes truth in communal narratives and he emphasised returning to ancestral knowledge to forge better pathways for future generations, using real voices (Heruhāpai and Hera) to surface issues like emotional pain and depression (whakamomori).
Matua Witi talked to the tangihanga (Māori grieving process), showing how expressions of grief (pouri, hotuhotu, etc.) allow emotional release (kua ea). The transformational power of storytelling, reconnecting with identity through tikanga, and warning against oppressive narratives. Matua Witi advocated living lives worthy of the stories our mokopuna (descendants) will tell about us.
Amituana’i Brooke Brake spoke to the Aoake te Rā suicide postvention service, which honours grief and offers culturally grounded support. Amituana’i Brooke spoke to how emotions like anger, guilt, trauma and fear surface in suicide loss and outlined a framework of co-design themes (choice, safety, content) and provider support (training, coaching, kete) for healing communities and building resilience.
Dr Melissa Cragg brought the clinical lens into conversation with culture, unpacking pathways for integrating Pacific values into systems of care. She presented the Kia Piki Te Ora programme, which puts lived experience and whānau voice at the centre of suicide prevention service design. The procurement process highlights identifying suitable partners for co-design and delivery, emphasising a community-driven, kaupapa Māori approach.
Day Two
Day Two of the Roots of Resilience stream centred around frontline initiatives, lived experienced and unwavering dedication to our communities.
Leilani Clarke opened with the Pasifika for Life programme, underpinned by the FLO community fund which empowers Pasifika groups to lead suicide prevention initiatives. Key metrics include $3.55M invested across 41 groups, engaging more than 590,000 people. She reminded us that “connection is protection” – and that our cultural tools are lifelines. Other initiatives, like Mana Restore, Aunty Dee, and NZ Rugby League Wellbeing Waka partnerships, were highlighted as part of a collective effort to ignite hope and preserve life.
Shaqaila Uelese and the Nevertheless Trust advocate for Rainbow Pasifika youth through the AWOL – Ancestral Ways Our Lifeline challenging toxic narratives and amplifies cultural connection and pride (proud to be Pasifika). Shaqaila bravely shared her personal story, illuminating the power of youth voice and peer leadership in suicide prevention. Her authenticity challenged us to listen deeper and lead differently.
Chelsea Cuthers-Munro’s short film ‘The Vaka That Waited’ is a powerful metaphor for answering the call to reclaim one’s truth. It speaks to the experience of masking trauma and silence, and the sacred pivot toward healing through empathy and compassion. The central message: The vaka that waits is you – a call for collective self-discovery and transformation. Her message was clear: “Don’t wait to be ready – just start.”
Together, the speakers for our Roots for Resilience stream embodied resilience in action – a reminder that suicide prevention is not just a programme, but a movement grounded in aroha, culture and community.
On behalf of our suicide prevention teams and senior managers Leilani Clarke and Tiana Watkins, to our esteemed speakers and our amazing vendors, we would like to extend our warm fa’afetai tele lava, malo ‘aupito, fakaaue lahi and thank you for making our Roots of Resilience stream a highlight at our recent Global Pacific Solutions Conference.
Over two impactful days in April, around 700 people joined together at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau for Le Va’s Global Pacific Solutions 2025 conference – uniting Pacific leaders, academics, international guest speakers, workforce and community members in a tour de force of strengths-based solution seeking.
Bringing to light tough topics such as child trafficking, suicide prevention, climate change, child sexual abuse, equity for disabled people and the ever-growing demand for mental health and addiction support workers, GPS 2025 was an event that opened minds, challenged the status quo and inspired hope for all who attended.
At times, the audience was moved to tears upon hearing transformative stories of overcoming adversity, fighting for justice and connecting to culture in a way that enhances our true selves.
Inspirational plenary speakers and breakout presenters communicated passionately, sharing their expertise to advance the knowledge of all who listened.
When opening the ‘Nurturing our Children’ plenary panel at GPS 2025, Le Va’s chief executive, Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave, said, “It is both an honour and a solemn responsibility to welcome you to today’s panel discussion on child sexual abuse and child trafficking across the wider Pacific.
“This is a conversation that demands our full attention, our collective expertise and most importantly, our unwavering commitment to action.
“The Pacific is home to diverse and resilient communities, but it is not immune to the global crises of child sexual exploitation and trafficking.”
We know that the solutions lie within our communities – GPS 2025 was an opportunity to bring together into one space the hearts, spirits and minds of hundreds of people, all eager to ignite change and promote the power of Indigenous intelligence.
Over the coming weeks, Le Va will be sharing many of the insights and solutions that were explored throughout Global Pacific Solutions 2025, with gratitude to everyone who was present and contributed to this important kaupapa.
Please subscribe to our eNewsletter to learn more: www.leva.co.nz/subscribe
Mental healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand is at a crossroads, and Le Va is calling attention to the urgent need for change, with a focus on mental ill-health prevention and mental wellbeing promotion alongside early intervention and recovery support.
In spite of increased government investment and better access to support over the last few decades, more people than ever are experiencing mental health challenges, with high rates of suicide, addiction and mental illness.
Dr Stephen Carbone has a passion for promoting people’s mental wellbeing. The founder and former CEO of Prevention United in Australia visited Pasifika-led organisation Le Va in March to speak about the important role primary prevention has in mental health policy.
Senior executives from across the social and healthcare sectors in Aotearoa New Zealand attended an in-person hui and online webinar, to learn more about what primary prevention is and how it can be a crucial complement to existing mental healthcare services.
Dr Carbone spoke about the effectiveness of mental wellbeing promotion and prevention of mental health conditions as a two-pronged tactic to help reduce the number of people who develop depression, anxiety or substance use conditions.
He said, “Mental health conditions are distressing, potentially disabling and contribute to death by suicide. While efforts to provide better treatments and services are important, there is more that we can do.”
Dr Carbone explained that while effective treatments are now more widely available and used, the number of people affected by conditions like depression and anxiety continues to rise in both Australia and New Zealand.
Ultimately, supporting people’s mental wellbeing and preventing the onset of mental health conditions at a population health level, would likely lead to less pressure on an already over-burdened mental healthcare system in Aotearoa.
Le Va chief executive, Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave, said of Dr Carbone’s visit, “We are grateful to Stephen for generously sharing his expertise in the field of primary prevention, an approach that underpins almost everything we do at Le Va.
“We want to keep this conversation going with the leaders of our healthcare systems, so we can develop a shared collective approach to primary prevention to benefit the people we serve.”
Adopting a primary prevention approach for mental health means not waiting until people are unwell before taking action, as is already common for physical health conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
At Le Va we believe this is the way forward for the prevention of serious issues such as mental illness, sexual violence, addiction and suicide.
Le Va’s dedicated LifeKeepers facilitators are gearing up for a busy and impactful March, with seven suicide prevention workshops scheduled across Aotearoa.
We also welcome Wellington Free Ambulance as an organisation that is newly supporting its staff, and in turn their communities, with LifeKeepers training.
From setting up culturally responsive spaces to practising role-play scenarios, our LifeKeepers team members ensure that every participant leaves equipped with the skills and confidence to support those at risk of suicide.
They are constantly reviewing and improving training materials, refining delivery approaches and drawing on their wealth of experience to create safe, engaging and meaningful learning environments.
One participant said of our LifeKeepers in-person training, “It was a personal experience that helped me understand how to better identify risk factors and approach whānau who may be at risk. I also appreciated the focus on the importance of words.”
Another said, “I loved the role plays that were incorporated, as they helped me better prepare for those difficult conversations. Ngā mihi to the trainers for making this such a valuable experience!”
Mana Akiaki: LifeKeepers for Māori is our suicide prevention training delivered through a Māori lens, weaving te reo me ōna tikanga, ngā whakataukī and mātauranga Māori throughout.
A participant described Mana Akiaki as, “A powerful and transformative training session! The delivery was engaging, and I appreciated how the programme incorporated Te Ao Māori values.”
If you are keen to learn more about how to recognise and support those at risk of suicide, you can register online for one of our March face-to-face workshops in your region:
- Hastings – 5 March
- Napier – Mana Akiaki – 6 March
- Kaikoura – Mana Akiaki – 12 March
- Waitematā – 18 March
- Waitara – Mana Akiaki – 20 March
- Foxton – 26 March
- Palmerston North – 27 March
We also offer online training – a flexible alternative for those unable to attend in person.
Visit our LifeKeepers website to register and learn more.
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