Vaka Tautua Awarded Innovation Grants
PIASS Trust Board Members: Back Row: Una Tangiroa, Pati Umaga, Ben Tameifuna Front Row: Tōfā Mamao executive Lavinia Lovo, Naomi Vailima
Vaka Tautua has been awarded two Ministry of Health Pacific Community Fund Grants to implement innovative projects in the disability and older peoples space. It is the only provider to be awarded multiple grants in this contestable process.
Vaka Tautua staff with the matua coordinators.
Vaka Tautua Chief Executive Officer, Dr Amanda-Lanuola Dunlop, said the organisation was thrilled about the awards and the positive difference the projects will have on the lives of peoples with disabilities and older peoples.
“Our Tōfā Mamao and Matua projects are about responding to the needs of our peoples with disabilities and older peoples, and in new, innovative ways to achieve optimal outcomes,” said Dr Dunlop.
“We are thrilled to have been given this opportunity to implement these projects… and to provide invaluable services to our older peoples and those with disabilities.”
The national “Tōfā Mamao: Valuing lived experience" project is focused on supporting Pacific peoples with disabilities, their families/aiga and caregivers to achieve their health and wellbeing goals and aspirations through increased social connectedness, social inclusion, and access to services. A collaboration with Tōfā Mamao, an Auckland regional consumer collective, and Pacific Information Advisory Support Services (PIASS) Trust, the project involves an online information and discussion portal and regional social networking hubs.
The "Matua: Ola manuia" project is an Auckland regional project that is focused on increasing Pacific older peoples' health and wellbeing through social connectedness, social inclusion and social enterprise. A collaboration with Pacific Homecare, the project involves twelve weekly ethnic-specific health and wellbeing day programmes, and six-monthly market days for the older peoples to connect, socialise, and sell their handiworks. Both projects are for three years.
“COVID has only highlighted the importance of social connectedness and inclusion, and new ways of doing,” said Dr Dunlop.
“We can’t wait to get going.”
The projects will commence in August 2020 and run until June 2023.
Vaka Tautua is a national Pacific health and social services provider. It delivers disability, mental health, older peoples, financial capability and social services in the greater Auckland, Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Canterbury regions.