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Supporting Pasifika health leaders to cultivate their unique leadership perspectives and enhance their leadership skills.
O le ala i le pule, o le tautua – The pathway to leadership is through service.
Programme overview
Faiva o Ta’ita’i is a leadership programme designed for emerging Pacific leaders with a disability/Pacific disabled leaders in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Delivered by Le Va in partnership with Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, this programme contributes to priority one of Atoatoali’o – Growing Pacific Disabled Leadership.
It will be delivered over two full-day workshops on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 July 2026.
Faiva o Ta’ita’i creates a culturally grounded space for Pacific leaders with a disability/ Pacific disabled leaders to reflect, connect and grow their leadership capability. The programme recognises lived experience, cultural identity and the strengths Pacific people bring to leadership within all sectors.
Participants will be supported to build confidence, strengthen their leadership identity, and explore how they lead in their communities, workplaces and wider systems.
Faiva o Ta’ita’i + Le Tautua: Pacific leadership
At the foundation of Faiva o Ta’ita’i is Le Tautua – Le Va’s well established and groundbreaking Pasifika leadership programme.
Le Tautua has been running since 2008, with more than 100 Pasifika health and disability workers successfully completing the programme.
Since its inception, we have analysed, researched, refreshed, scrutinised, evolved and drawn upon world leading theory and methods in leadership development.
The programme transforms knowledge into impact and generates exceptional outcomes for participants across a broad range of workplace and community environments.
Participants experience a transformative leadership journey with a focus on the contemporary execution of traditional values in practice – in clinical, cultural, and community contexts. This enables them to become more effective changemakers and leaders.
You can learn more about Le Tautua at the link below:
The meaning behind the name
Faiva o Ta’ita’i literally translates to “the craft or practice (faiva) of leading or leadership (ta’ita’i)”, referring to leadership as an active craft rather than a title or position.
Within a Pacific context, it reflects a way of leading that is grounded in service, shaped by cultural identity, and expressed through relationships and everyday actions that uplift others. It recognises leadership as something lived – through nurturing the vā, carrying collective responsibility, and creating spaces where people can thrive.
In this way, Faiva o Ta’ita’i provides a culturally grounded approach to leadership that supports Pacific people with disabilities to step into leadership, strengthen their voice, and lead within their families, communities and systems.
Who should apply
This programme is designed for Pacific people with disabilities based in Auckland who are:
- motivated to grow in their leadership
- open to learning and reflection
- wanting to strengthen how they show up in their work and communities
- ready to step into new opportunities and challenges.
This includes those working in:
- disability support services
- community organisations
- public health or government roles
- navigation, advocacy or support roles
- lived experience and community-based roles.
How to apply
We are committed to making this application process accessible and inclusive. Applicants can choose to submit their application in one of the following formats:
- Written responses
- Video submissions
We welcome different ways of sharing your experiences and encourage you to choose the format that works best for you.
If you need any support to complete your application, please contact John Crouch at John.Crouch@leva.co.nz.
Application requirements
To apply, please complete the form at the link below and provide:
- an up-to-date CV (maximum 2 pages)
- a letter of support from your employer
- responses to the application questions (written or video).
Knowledge
- Increased understanding of Pacific leadership within the disability context.
- Greater awareness of cultural values and their application in practice.
Skills
- Strengthened ability to lead with clarity, purpose, and cultural grounding.
- Enhanced communication and relational leadership skills.
Confidence
- Increased confidence in leadership identity.
- Greater readiness to take on leadership opportunities.
