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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 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:

We also offer online training – a flexible alternative for those unable to attend in person.

Visit our LifeKeepers website to register and learn more.

On 30 October 2024, the Chief Coroner released the latest annual provisional suicide statistics for Aotearoa.

These figures play a vital role in shaping and guiding suicide prevention efforts across the motu, supporting the work of organisations like Le Va that are dedicated to saving lives.

The data shows that, overall, there has been no change in the rate of suicide. In the financial year to 30 June 2024, 617 people died by suspected suicide and the rate was 11.2 people per 100,000.

Le Va chief executive, Denise Kingi-‘Ulu’ave, said, “While understanding these statistics and monitoring any changes is important to our suicide prevention efforts, we must not lose sight of our people behind the numbers – those who have died by suicide and the individuals, family members, whānau, friends and communities who have tragically lost their loved ones.”

In 2023, Aotearoa witnessed a significant and encouraging decline in the provisional suicide rate among Pacific people, dropping from 9.2 to 5.1 per 100,000 people while this year, there has been a slight increase to 7.7 per 100,000 people.

Community-focused solutions

At Le Va, we believe the solutions to preventing suicide are found within our communities. On 25 October 2024, Le Va held a community fono (meeting), ensuring a safe space for communities to provide insights and recommendations on the government’s draft suicide prevention action plan for 2025-2029.

With more than 20 community members actively contributing, the fono was a successful collaborative event. Co-facilitated by Le Va’s senior managers for suicide prevention – Leilani Clarke and Tiana Watkins – the gathering encouraged open, bold discussions, bringing a grassroots perspective to both health-led and cross-government actions to suicide prevention in Aotearoa.

Feedback from the fono was that in Aotearoa we need to focus on prevention and make sure the voices of those with lived experience are heard. Our communities said that addressing factors like poverty, family violence and mental health is a form of suicide prevention, and we should prioritise support for the people, families, whānau and communities who have experienced suicide.

Suicide prevention training

Le Va has two groundbreaking national suicide prevention training programmes:

LifeKeepers – New Zealand’s national suicide prevention training programme – has trained more than 18,000 everyday people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to intervene when someone is at risk of suicide. These are ordinary people playing their part in the prevention of suicide.

FLO: Pasifika for Life is Aotearoa’s first national Pasifika suicide prevention training, designed to engage and empower Pasifika communities to prevent suicide by enhancing protective factors and reducing risk factors associated to suicide.

These programmes, grounded in evidence and culturally responsive methods, ensure clinically safe, community-driven interventions.

Suicide prevention resources

Recently Le Va launched a new digital resource – ‘After a suicide attempt’ – providing critical guidance for those supporting individuals post-attempt. This resource is freely accessible and aims to bolster support systems during vulnerable recovery periods. Our resource can be downloaded from the Le Va website.

Le Va remains committed to supporting our Pasifika and Māori communities to find their own solutions to suicide, through initiatives such as our Pasifika Suicide Prevention Community Fund, referrals to Te Rau Ora Māori Suicide Prevention Community Fund, and Mana Akiaki: LifeKeepers for Māori.

We will continue to work collaboratively with our communities and other agencies in the suicide prevention sector to help reduce the rates for Pasifika, and for Māori who are still overrepresented in these statistics.

Our approach of enhancing protective factors and mitigating risk factors can foster resilience and lead to improved wellbeing to help prevent suicide. Through our collective efforts we hope to see a reduction in suicide rates for all people of Aotearoa.

Tiana Watkins, senior manager for suicide prevention at Le Va, opened day two of the 2024 Indigenous Wellbeing Conference with her inspiring keynote speech – ‘Empowering communities: LifeKeepers’ culturally responsive approach to suicide prevention in Aotearoa.’

LifeKeepers is Le Va’s national suicide prevention training programme, crafted with deep cultural respect and understanding for the unique needs of local communities.

At its core, LifeKeepers is a holistic kaupapa that blends internationally validated practices with rich local knowledge and cultural insights.

This fusion ensures the programme is clinically sound and closely attuned to the cultural and community contexts of Aotearoa.

Mana Akiaki – LifeKeepers for Māori is a version of LifeKeepers that weaves te reo me ōna tikanga Māori throughout, empowering whānau to build the courage and confidence to prevent suicide.

During her session, Tiana (Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui and Kai Tahu) explored how LifeKeepers empowers key community members – from youth workers and Māori wardens, to sports coaches and caregivers – with the skills to recognise, respond to and support those at risk of suicide.

She shared how LifeKeepers fosters Communities of C.A.R.E. (Connect, Ask, Respond, Engage), creating safer, stronger communities by integrating culture and tradition into suicide prevention strategies.

Attendees agreed it was a powerful session that highlighted the importance of uplifting Indigenous voices and creating lasting change.

The Indigenous Wellbeing Conference celebrates Indigenous community, culture and identity to help advance social and emotional wellbeing for all First Nations Australian, Māori and Pasifika people.

Learn more about our LifeKeepers programme.

Le Va continues to recognise the vital role communities play in reducing suicide and we are proud to engage with many amazing individuals throughout Aotearoa New Zealand championing suicide prevention. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things – creating communities of C.A.R.E. to prevent suicide. Our LifeKeepers C.A.R.E. Heroes are individuals who embody our LifeKeepers model:

Connect with compassion

Ask about suicide with courage

Respond with confidence

Engage with community supports

We are honoured to introduce this year’s LifeKeepers C.A.R.E. Heroes:

Ruku I’Anson (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga)
A dedicated mental health helpline volunteer for the past three years; Ruku is driven to help those in crisis find a place where they feel heard and validated. LifeKeepers acknowledges Ruku’s commitment to supporting those in distress and empowering them toward safety.

Poutiri Trust (Te Moana Nui ā Toitehuatahi – Bay of Plenty)
The holistic approach of Poutiri Trust values all elements of hauoranga, fostering healthier and more resilient Waiariki communities.LifeKeepers recognises the manaakitanga, arohatanga, and whanaungatanga of Poutiri across the Bay of Plenty. Their unique and tremendous efforts, especially through the “TOMORROW NEEDS YOU” initiative, beautifully demonstrate the love and care for rangatahi, whānau, and hapori.

Quack Pirihi (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Whātua o Kaipara, Patuharakeke)
Founder of Mana Āniwaniwa in 2023, Quack is committed to preventing and ending suicide within queer and Takatāpui communities. They are passionate about empowering whānau to embrace their mana motuhake and restore tino rangatiratanga. LifeKeepersrecognises Quack’s dedication and grit as a taiohi Māori working tirelessly to support our takatāpui and queer communities.

Raniera Pene (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Rangiteaorere, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Waikato)
Raniera has organised numerous suicide prevention trainings for Māori communities in the Northland region, inspiring whānau to pursue self-determination. He is devoted to enhancing the social and economic wellbeing of Māori whilst motivating whānau to realise their own definitions of rangatiratanga and mana motuhake. LifeKeepers acknowledges the passion and leadership of Raniera, helping whānau define and pursue their own vision of mana Motuhake.

Gemma Turner (Capital & Coast, Hutt Valley)
As a Year 13 student, Gemma created Gigi’s Diary, a mental health resource for youth that has been used by schools and professionals to support young people in managing their mental health. With over 1,000 copies distributed to date, LifeKeepers celebrates Gemma’s determination and heartfelt care for others. Her resource is a powerful tool, helping youth navigate their inner struggles.

Congratulations to all our LifeKeepers C.A.R.E. Heroes for their outstanding contributions to suicide prevention! We are deeply grateful for your unwavering commitment to making a difference in your communities.

_____________________________________

To learn more about LifeKeepers, or to register for suicide prevention training, visit our LifeKeepers website.

C.A.R.E. stands for Connecting with compassion, Asking with courage, Responding with confidence, and Engaging with services and support for those at risk of suicide. The following list of people and organisations names the C.A.R.E heroes Le Va has chosen to honour in 2023 for their commitment to those actions, and to equipping themselves and their communities with the skills and knowledge to prevent suicide.

Silver Kiliva is a fearless yet humble advocate in his South Auckland community, ensuring whānau are being met where they are at and in a space that is comfortable for them.

Teresa Morgan and Joseph Rao are both passionate community engagers in the West Waikato community, selfless working to keep their community safe and thriving.

Lil Leeper of the Wairarapa goes above and beyond to provide tāngata whaiora and their whānau with manaakitanga at all hours of the day and night.

Shaness Parkinson is a bold, creative and loving Northland community wahine providing culturally relevant resources, empowering taiohi and whānau.

Matt Oakley and Ivan Maurirere are two Tairāwhiti tāne, tirelessly connecting with their community to prevent suicide.

Pup Chamberlain refocused his long-term Police career to preventing suicide in his Canterbury community, supporting individuals to recognise their strengths and enhancing their individual skills to help themselves and others.

Wendy Mildon and Ken Haines from Lifting the Lid on Youth Suicide, Hawkes Bay are community driven visionaries enabling taiohi to seek support in ways that traditionally have not been as accessible.

Ngaro Hape is a humble Hawkes Bay hero who has made significant local and national contributions to suicide prevention by supporting community and whānau experiencing psychological distress.

Eight organisations have also been recognised as 2023 LifeKeepers C.A.R.E. Heroes – Anxiety Trust NZ, Victim Support, Surf Life Saving NZ, NZRL, The University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, Lincoln University, and Auckland Council.

On behalf of Le Va LifeKeepers, we thank all of our 2023 LifeKeepers C.A.R.E. Heroes for their heart, commitment and passion to preventing suicide within communities across Aotearoa.

 

Also in September this year, Le Va’s national suicide prevention training programme – LifeKeepers – reached the milestone of six years in action, working tirelessly to equip Kiwis with the knowledge and skills to prevent suicide.

Tiana Watkins, Senior Manager Suicide Prevention for LifeKeepers, paid special tribute to Le Va’s Chief Executive, Denise Kingi-Uluave, for her significant contribution and leadership in this space.

Tiana added, “Six years in the making, six years of working passionately to prevent suicide, six years of celebrating ordinary people doing extraordinary things in suicide prevention, right across the motu. We all have the power to inspire hope – to simply ask others if they’re okay, lend a listening ear without judgement, and let them know you genuinely care.”

What began with a handful of individuals in 2017 has now grown to almost 15,000 people certified as LifeKeepers, having completed in person or online training.

To learn more about LifeKeepers, visit www.lifekeepers.nz.

Helplines

If you need to talk, you can call or text 1737 for free anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to speak or text with a trained counsellor.

One of the barriers to offering assistance can often be lacking the confidence or knowledge to safely step in or show support. With a kete (basket) of tools to help us identify signs of mental distress, we will hopefully be able to make a difference by creating communities of C.A.R.E.

With over 13,500 people equipped with skills from LifeKeepers to prevent suicide, we know that over 2,000 of these extraordinary individuals have intervened and supported someone thinking of taking their life and engaged them with the right supports to ease their distress. Reducing the number of lives lost by equipping everyday people in suicide prevention is our aim. With this in mind, we take a moment to speak with one of our LifeKeepers who shares their story about the impact the programme has had on them personally.

I was scared to participate in LifeKeepers initially. I thought it might be all doom and gloom but that couldn’t have been further from the truth! From the moment I walked into the room, the aroha, the manaaki and the genuine safety I felt is something that I continue to carry with me. I’ve never had that experience before. I wish I had done LifeKeepers 10 years ago! Since becoming a LifeKeeper, I am more aware and have the confidence to support my loved ones when once I was scared. By communicating with compassion and without judgement I have been able to support people in my life. I’m not a mental health professional, I like to think of myself as a bro-fessional because of the courage I now have to ask somebody if they’re thinking of taking their life. I now realise that there is a lot of support in the community, something I had never seen or thought of before becoming a LifeKeeper. I’m not too small to make a difference. I’m just me and I know that I am part of a bigger picture, this community of LifeKeepers. -KS, LifeKeeper, 2022

Become a LifeKeeper, you never know, you may just save a life – visit www.lifekeepers.nz

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini!
The success should not be bestowed onto me alone, as it was not individual success, but the success of the collective.

As we approach the conclusion of another full year, the Le Va LifeKeepers team reflect on the year that has been.

Having travelled from the deep South to the top of the North, the LifeKeepers team have had the privilege and honour to connect with thousands of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in their communities.

It is a momentous occasion to share the collective efforts of many, bringing us now to over 8,000 certified LifeKeepers across Aotearoa New Zealand, trained in suicide prevention. This means that these incredible individuals are nestled amongst our communities supporting whānau in distress, to prevent suicide.

Preventing suicide is everybody’s business and our team of 8,000 recognise that one life lost is one too many! It is for this reason that we all work diligently to enhance and increase our Communities of C.A.R.E across the motu:

Connecting with Compassion,

Asking with Courage

Responding with Confidence and

Engaging with Community Supports

On behalf of our LifeKeepers suicide prevention team here at Le Va, we want to take the opportunity to thank each and every single one of you. We thank you for your aroha, your compassion, your care, your resilience and your mana enhancing messages of hope to protect the whakapapa of our many, here in Aotearoa New Zealand and across the Pacific.

“I just wanted to let you know how profoundly grateful I am to you, for allowing me to do this course. It has certainly changed my outlook and given me the confidence to address these difficult issues with compassion and confidence. I wish I had the opportunity to do this course a couple of years ago and also wish that others struggling with these issues were aware of it and able to access it. Thank you so much”.

Participant feedback (2021)

On behalf of the Le Va LifeKeepers team, ngā mihi o te wā, mā te atua tātou e manaaki!

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