The craft of leading: Le Va launches new era of Pacific disability leadership for Aotearoa

Published: July 29, 2026

We do not need to create Pacific disabled leaders. They are already here.
– Mati Dr Elizabeth Mati

On the evening of 22 July, Le Va and Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People created space for a special moment: the introduction of the first Faiva o Ta’ita’i Pacific disability leadership cohort.

The official launch event resonated with an energy and heart that could be felt throughout the room as a mix of anticipation, pride and hope that a long-held goal was about to be achieved.

Felicia Manase and Kramer Hoeflich

MCs Kramer Hoeflich and Felicia Manase, disability champions and members of Le Va’s Faiva Ora leadership group, kept the evening flowing with warmth and humour.

They welcomed a room full of Pacific disabled leaders, their families and the people who championed this kaupapa into being, including Le Va’s senior manager for disability and public health, Ben Tameifuna, and Whaikaha Chief Advisor Pacific Peoples, Tofa Suafole Gush.

Mati Dr Elizabeth Mati

Chief executive of Le Va, Mati Dr Elizabeth Mati, said in her keynote speech, “We do not need to create Pacific disabled leaders. They are already here.” What has often been missing, she said, is the opportunity, the platform and the investment.

That is what Faiva o Ta’ita’i, a phrase that speaks to the craft of leadership, sets out to change. Faiva o Ta’ita’i draws on Le Va’s well established and groundbreaking Le Tautua Pasifika leadership programme, reimagined through a disability lens.

“Leadership is tautua,” Dr Mati said. “It is about showing up for others, creating opportunities where none existed before, ensuring every voice has the chance to be heard, and having the courage to create positive change.”

For the eight participants selected for this inaugural cohort, the evening marked the start of something more than just another workshop.

The following two days brought the participants together on Puketutu Island for leadership sessions and presentations that were equal parts connection, reflection and challenge.

Day One opened with a traditional Tongan kava ceremony, grounding the group in ceremony and respect before the work began, a fitting start for a programme built on cultural identity as much as leadership skill.

Day Two continued with conversations spilling from the formal learning sessions into meal breaks, where some of the richest learning happened.

As the first cohort through the programme, these leaders carry a responsibility beyond their own journeys. Their experiences will help shape the path for every Pacific disabled leader who follows.

Their leadership was never in question. Now, it has a platform to match.