Community leadership

Supporting Pasifika communities

A one-off contestable fund of $2 million established to support community-based suicide intervention initiatives or projects, launched in 2014. Its aim was to support Māori whānau, hapū, iwi, Pasifika families and communities to develop and enhance their own capacity and capability to prevent suicide and to respond safely and effectively when, and if, suicide occurs.  

The fund was divided into two funding streams:

• $1,525,000 allocated to Māori whānau, hapū, iwi and communities
• $475,000 allocated to Pasifika families and communities

Le Va administered the Pasifika One-off Community Fund to resource/support 17 Community Funded Initiatives under the Waka Hourua strategy.

All 17 funded projects were expected to demonstrate a clear alignment to one, or more, of the following outcomes of the Waka Hourua programme:  

1. Families and communities are strongly connected to one another and people actively participate in the wider community
2. Families and communities have their own approaches and plans in place and are actively building resilience and reducing risks of suicide
3. People are informed about and assisted to access the services available to them
4. Community leaders empower people, foster resilience and bring people and resources together
5. Families and communities have stronger relationships and confidence to be able to talk about their difficulties, and
6. People bereaved by suicide receive the support they need within their families.

View our presentation to learn more: A summary of the seven elements of community-based suicide prevention: the FOCUS Framework