Pacific Engagement by Design

This webishop explores some powerful approaches to help Pacific and non-Pacific health promoters engage more effectively with Pacific families and communities?

Especially during these challenging times reaching out to our Pacific communities is even more vital, and indigenous wisdom and professional experience tell us that in order to be more effective in engaging Pacific peoples:

• We must touch the heart for the head to consider and the hands will move to action
• Pacific peoples are heart people with a spirit of humility, resiliency, connectedness, honour, and community
• They must be allowed to lead their own pathway to wellbeing,
• We must engage the head, heart and hands (the 3-H approach)
• There is also the 4-F approach: Food, Family, Fellowship and Fun

“Unless communities and families are involved and are leading, there will be no progress towards achieving equity for Pacific people’s health and wellbeing,” says webishop facilitator Dr Viliami Puloka.

About the speakers:

Dr Viliami Puloka
Viliami is HPF’s Deputy Executive Director (Health Promotion). He also holds the portfolio for Pacific Health Promotion.

Sione Tu’itahi
Sione is the Executive Director of HPF and member of the Global Board of IUHPE. He is also the Co-Chair of the IUHPE Global Working Group on Waiora Planetary Health and Human Wellbeing

Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou

Kathleen Tuai-Ta’ufo’ou is the Executive Director, Vahefonua Tonga Methodist Mission Charitable Trust also known as SIAOLA. The Trust is a national value and strength-based service, based in Central Auckland, that uses a Tongan Cultural Framework to deliver its social services to the community. Kathleen is a recipient of the Counties Manukau District Commanders NZ Police Award on behalf of the team of volunteers who designed and implemented the Famili Lelei parenting, programme which stems from the Tongan community’s feedback to produce tools and resources to build safer and more resilient families.