When we think about Pacific peoples, we often picture the stars, the ocean waves, and the way our ancestors read the world around them with precision and purpose.
That same spirit of exploration and innovation lives on in our young people today – in the lab, in the lecture hall, in the moments when curiosity meets possibility.
The Toloa Scholarships celebrate this connection. They recognise that STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – isn’t something foreign to Pacific learners.
These skills have always been part of who we are, woven into how we have understood and shaped our world for generations.
Removing barriers, building futures
For many of our young people, the path to education isn’t always straightforward. There are costs that add up – uniforms, course materials, accommodation, the everyday expenses that can become overwhelming. These barriers can stand between a student and their potential, between curiosity and the chance to pursue it fully.
That’s where Toloa comes in. The scholarships provide targeted financial support for both secondary and tertiary Pacific students, covering everything from school essentials to university tuition and research costs. It’s about giving our taiohi the breathing room they need to focus on learning and exploring fields they’re passionate about without the weight of financial stress holding them back.
Le Va administers these scholarships on behalf of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, and we see firsthand the difference this support makes. When a student’s family doesn’t have to choose between buying textbooks or groceries, when they can say yes to that field trip or research opportunity, new pathways emerge and confidence can grow.
A future shaped by our communities
STEM careers offer incredible opportunities for individual students, for our communities and for Aotearoa. We need Pacific voices in health, in technology, in environmental science, in engineering. We need our young people solving problems, innovating, leading.
The Toloa Scholarships are part of building that future. They’re an investment in potential, in dreams, in the next generation of Pacific navigators charting courses through new territories.
Applications are now open, and the Le Va team is ready to support students and whānau through the process.
For more information and to apply, visit Toloa Scholarships.
Celebrating the achievements of the first ever cohort for Le Va’s Addiction and Problem Gambling Harm Scholarship was a highlight for our Mental Health and Addiction team in November.
2024 was the first year of Le Va administering the new scholarship, which is funded by Te Whatu Ora with the intention of growing the capacity and capability of the workforce.
Students from all backgrounds were part of that inaugural cohort, all dedicated to working and studying with the goal of reducing harms to our communities from alcohol and other drugs, and from problem gambling.
Gratitude in abundance
Many of the scholarship recipients expressed their gratitude to Le Va and Te Whatu Ora for providing the scholarship opportunity, with several sharing that they would not have studied in 2024 without it.
Toleafoa Mark Esekielu, Le Va’s senior manager – mental health and addiction, said of the celebration and workshop, “It was heartwarming and humbling to hear the life stories and motivations of our 2024 Addiction and Problem Gambling Harm Scholarship recipients.
“Their drive to serve our communities from Invercargill to the Far North was apparent throughout the day and even more so in their final remarks. The humility each recipient showed and their gratitude for receiving support speaks volumes about them as people.
“When we hear the sentiments of our recipients feeling connected in the sector, feeling less isolated as addiction and problem gambling workers, and feeling motivated to carry on their study and mahi, it makes it all our efforts worthwhile.”
Many thanks go to Helen Schmidt-Sopoaga – Clinical Team Leader for CADS South Auckland and DRUA co-chair, Maikali Kilioni – Industry Engagement Lead (Pacific) at Toitū Te Waiora, and Ivan Yeo – Deputy Director and Lived Experience Lead at Asian Family Services, for sharing their experience and expertise in a career panel during the workshop.
Applications opening soon
The next round of applications for this scholarship, and for Le Va’s Futures that Work Pacific Mental Health and Addiction Scholarship, will open soon on Monday 2 December.
Both scholarships offer much more than just financial support, with mentoring, pastoral care, career advice and the chance to connect with peers in the sector available to all our successful students.
We encourage everyone planning to study in the areas of mental health, addiction or problem gambling in 2025 to check out our scholarships and eligibility criteria and send in an application. Our communities need you!
Explore Le Va’s scholarship opportunities.
‘Tutū maiea marangai, whakatere ana Poupaka – When the easterly wind rises, Poupaka goes sailing’ was the theme for the National Addiction Leadership Day held on 31 July in Māngere, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Hosted by the National Committee for Addiction Treatment in partnership with Te Pou, the event was attended by Hon Matt Doocey, Minister for Mental Health and Associate Minister of Health, who gave the opening address.
Le Va’s senior manager – mental health and addiction, Toleafoa Mark Esekielu, said of the event, “It was great to connect and reconnect with such passionate addiction rangatira and kaimahi.
“Wonderful to hear about all the vast work that is happening across the sector and to share the part Le Va is contributing with our inaugural addiction scholarship programme, funded by Health NZ – Te Whatu Ora.”
Toleafoa presented on Le Va’s work in the sector and our new Addiction and Problem Gambling Harm Scholarship.
Intended to increase the capacity and capability of the workforce, the scholarship is available to those studying towards a qualification that contributes to reducing harms from alcohol and other drugs.
The first cohort of 44 students got underway in 2024, receiving tailored support in the form of financial assistance, cultural support, mentoring and career planning.
Find out more about Le Va’s mental health and addiction scholarships, supporting the development of the mental health and addiction workforce in Aotearoa.
https://www.leva.co.nz/scholarships-funding/
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