After eighteen years of concerted work and effort, we are proud to announce that development of new Pan Pasifika Community Hub can begin in central Hamilton.  This has been made possible by the recent approval of $2.137 million in funding from Trust Waikato. The Pan Pasifika Community Hub will be developed and managed by K’aute Pasifika Charitable Trust.  K’aute Pasifika deliver a large number of effective health, education and social service programmes to the Pacific community.  Currently these programmes are delivered from a myriad of locations which are not purpose built and therefore present challenges in terms of location, accessibility and suitability of the facilities themselves.

 

The hub will enable K’aute Pasifika to better support the holistic wellbeing of Pacific families through the continued delivery of these programmes from a purpose built facility. As well as a head office for K’aute Pasifika, the hub will include a medical clinic, K’aute Pasifika’s nurse-led services, social workers and a Pan Pacific Early Childhood Centre.  There are also opportunities for allied health to co-locate to include a pharmacy, midwifery, physiotherapy and a podiatry clinic.  Although the Hub will be Pan Pasifika, all ethnicities will be welcomed as this will be a place of inclusion and for all community.

 

The Pasifika Community Hub will enable Pacific communities to:

• access culturally appropriate and sensitive health, education and social services
• identify with, and strengthen their own cultural connections
• celebrate and support academic, sporting, artistic, social and cultural pursuits and achievements.

The development of the new hub is estimated at $10.6 million.  The K’aute Pasifika Hub project team advise that the funding from Trust Waikato will provide much needed seed funding for the project and will act as encouragement for other funders to get behind a great community initiative.

 “We are thrilled that the Pasifika Community Hub can now begin development.  A centralised and accessible Pasifika centre will mean that we can better support the holistic wellbeing of Pacific families, increase our connectedness and cultural identities, and celebrate and support academic, sporting, creative and leadership potential,” says Leaupepe Rachel Karalus, Chief Executive of K’aute Pasifika.

 “The Pasifika Community Hub and the funding from Trust Waikato enforces the value of our Pacific cultural identity and heritage and our place in the Waikato Region and nationally. As a minority group, for our Pacific communities this is momentous,” says Rachel.

The Pasifika Community Hub will serve not only Pacific communities in the Waikato region but also Pacific communities in the Midlands Region through the Aere-Tai Collective which is made up of K’aute Pasifika’s Pacific provider partners:

• South Waikato Pacific Islands Community Services (Tokoroa)
• Pacific Island Community Trust (Tauranga)
• Kings Force Health Charitable Trust (Hawkes Bay)
• Vaimoana Pasifika Charitable Trust (Taranaki)
• Pacific Island Community Trust (Gisborne) and
• Rotorua Pacific lsland Development Community Trust (Rotorua)

 

Trust Waikato is honoured and privileged to support the development of this new Pasifika Community Hub. 

 

“We are very happy to be an early funder of this project,” says Dennis Turton, Trust Waikato Chief Executive, “This donation has come from our Significant Capital Projects Fund as we believe that by providing a centralised and well-resourced Pasifika centre this will have hugely positive impacts for Pacific communities across the Waikato.”

 “This centre is a real tribute to the tenacity, resilience and vision of the people from K’aute Pasifika and the wider community.  We look forward to this project developing and contributing to this place of importance for Pacific people to gather, celebrate and access the facilities they need to prosper,” says Dennis.

 The support from the different Pacific communities has been incredibly positive:

 “Extremely grateful and thankful for the generosity and support from Trust Waikato.  I would like to acknowledge the efforts and hard work by K’aute Pasifika Board, Management and staff (past & present), over the last 18 years. Our Pacific Community in Hamilton will have a place to be “Proud to call our Own” and where we can feel comfortable, and “Gather together as One”. Leota Scanlan, Samoan Community Leader, and a member of the very first fono in 1998 which led to the establishment of K’aute Pasifika Trust, of which he was the first Chairperson.

 “Boutokan ao tararuan marurungia ao rikirakeia kain Tebetebeke  - An envisioned pragmatic approach to the health and wellbeing of the Pasifika Communities in Hamilton. Our sincere gratitude to all parties involved in fulfilling this vision that reflects the true purpose of K’aute Pasifika and its services.”  Tuana Tanua.  Kiribati Community Leader.

 “As a Samoan High Chief and Hamilton Pacific Community member, I want to acknowledge the generosity of the funders/donors, to finance a Pacific Centre here in Hamilton, one of the first of it’s kind in New Zealand.  Fa’afetai tele lava K’aute Pasifika Board, Leaupepe Evie Zamora, Management and staff for your leadership and support for our Pacific community throughout the last 18 years. Thank you and Fa’afetai tele lava.Tuila’epa Seiuli, Samoan Community Leader

 “This is exciting news for us as Pacific People, to have these facilities built with us in mind.  We are grateful to the dedicated people who founded K’aute which has led to this, and to the government people who have approved it.”  Manogi Spain.  Niuean Community Leader.

 “The Tongan community is looking forward to the building of the Pasifika Hub. The Pasifika Hub will help the Tongan community to bring their families, relatives and friends to a place where they can be supported by Pasifika doctors and staff who understand the Pasifika culture, especially with language barriers and cultural protocols.”  Veitomoni Siufanga.  Tongan Community Leader, and Deputy Chairperson K’aute Pasifika Trust.

 "I am totally excited and I see that this will be a great opportunity for the Tongan community to work closer with each other also the togetherness of the Pasifika community in Hamilton will be stronger. This is a dream come true and looking forward to see progress in this amazing plan of having a Pasifika hub for the Waikato Pasifika community. Well done K'aute. I fully support and excited about this to actually happen." Lesieli Vaea, Tongan Community Leader

 

For further information contact:

 Rachel Karalus

Chief Executive K’aute Pasifika

Phone: 021-343-159

Email:

 

Dennis Turton

Trust Waikato Chief Executive 

Phone: 027 482 1206

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