Our Stories

Kirsten Brown 21/11/22 Kirsten Brown 21/11/22

Vaka Tautua Wellington makes a big move

The Vaka Tautua Wellington team has celebrated a significant milestone in their journey with a relocation to new office premises in the heart of Porirua City at the start of November.

Kirsten Brown 5/10/22 Kirsten Brown 5/10/22

Raising awareness of mental health for Pacific communities in Aotearoa

In support of Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, Vaka Tautua’s Ola Fiafia Mental Health teams in the Auckland and Wellington regions held fun activities throughout the week to engage their local communities and promote mental wellbeing for Pacific people.

Kirsten Brown 25/07/22 Kirsten Brown 25/07/22

Forging new connections for Pacific disabled people in Porirua

Vaka Tautua’s Disability Information Advisory Services team in Porirua has been actively engaging with other providers to open up more opportunities for the local Pacific disabled community and explore new pathways for Vaka Tautua’s service users.

Kirsten Brown 28/03/22 Kirsten Brown 28/03/22

On the road to healthy living

Porirua resident John Mu isn’t letting his disability slow him down. Armed with information and advice from Vaka Tautua’s Disability Information Advisory Services team in Wellington, he is racing along his journey towards increased mobility and wellbeing.

Kirsten Brown 15/02/22 Kirsten Brown 15/02/22

Increased mobility gives a new lease on life

Vaka Tautua’s Community Connector Service in Wellington has helped 243 Pacific people during the pandemic. The team recently supported Samoeleoi Moetu to regain his mobility and independence, giving him a new lease on life.

Kirsten Brown 10/02/22 Kirsten Brown 10/02/22

Disability Services enabling Pacific wellbeing

Vaka Tautua responded to 4,947 disability-related enquiries across Aotearoa in 2021. The organisation also distributed 973 PPE packs and more than 150 wellbeing packages to 623 Pacific disabled people and their families as part of its national COVID-19 outreach service.

Kirsten Brown 20/12/21 Kirsten Brown 20/12/21

Finding a path to mental wellbeing

Utusaitoa Ah Kuoi is a young Samoan man who successfully navigated his way through mental health challenges to wellbeing and gainful employment, with support from Vaka Tautua’s Pacific Navigation Services in Wellington.

Kirsten Brown 26/11/21 Kirsten Brown 26/11/21

Navigating through depression to a brighter future

Jerome could not see a way out of his depression. However, with the support of Vaka Tautua’s Pacific mental health navigation services in Wellington, he is now on his way to a brighter future.

Kirsten Brown 21/10/21 Kirsten Brown 21/10/21

Pacific Navigator modelling the way forward

Tevita Manuopangai Tuita, a Vaka Tautua Mental Health Navigator in the Wellington region, was recently invited to take part in the ‘Trust Us’ campaign developed by Te Awakairangi Health Network.