"This framework is a great tool for us."
Anggie Lotu Tuifua is the Social Services Team Leader for K’aute Pasifika in Hamilton. She recently attend Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu’s Tongan cultural framework training, ‘Fofola e Fala Kae Talanoa e Kāinga’ in Hamilton with members of her team. Anggie shared some of her reflections of Nga Vaka.
Thank you for talking with us Anggie. Could you tell us why K’aute Pasifika wanted to bring the Nga Vaka training to Hamilton?
We really like how the training is grounded in key cultural concepts, values and beliefs that are relevant and appropriate to addressing violence in families. We invited Nga Vaka training to Hamilton because we know it has been informed by and aligned with ethnic specific cultural concepts.
It was also part of our personal development to ensure we embed better understanding and awareness for cultural practices to be used appropriately when dealing with family violence. This training encourages and brings forth the cultural challenges from our various Pasifika communities who are struggling with the violation of family violence. This training gives greater insight to not only non-Pasifika practitioners, support workers, caregivers but for all to approach our Pasifika communities with cultural awareness as the priority. This framework is a great tool for us as Pacific professionals in the community and I like to say it is empowering Pacific excellence.
As a Samoan, what was it like learning about the Tongan framework?
Learning about this Tongan perspective on addressing family harm and family violence, as a Samoan it’s so relatable. We share so many similarities in our family dynamics, and to an extent you can adjust it as to how you understand it and how it applies to your family. And that’s the same feedback that I’ve been capturing in the room – “Oh, this is not what I expected” and “I’m really enjoying this, especially for my own wellbeing.” Learning about the Tongan framework has given further insight and knowledge as to how best we should approach the attitudes and beliefs of the Tongan culture. How we respond and support a Tongan kāinga when their values have been compromised is a key factor in determining what is the best outcome for the kāinga.
What is it like working down here in Waikato, because you’re originally from Otara?
I think what I loved about my upbringing in South Auckland is they teach you to be proud of who you are. Then when I moved to Hamilton, it was almost like I had to relearn about being a minority, but I wasn’t actually a minority. There are many Pacific people here. However, scattered around the Waikato and quiet maybe because it’s not always popular to be Pasifika. With our Fale Pasifika, we had this grand opening, and it was very popular to be Pasifika that week. I often wonder how can we make it like that every day?
What does K’aute Pasifika do?
Our vision is “Dynamic, healthy, strong, educated, collaborative, sustainable Pacific communities living to their full potential.” Our service is a holistic approach to improve the wellbeing of Pacific communities. We deliver a range of services including health, education, employment, and social services. We want to see our Pacific communities thriving.
How can your staff apply these learnings from Nga Vaka into their work?
The learnings from today’s workshop are not limited to those who work with contracts that are serving family harm or family violence prevention. These learnings can be applied in all our services because we have mental health services, education, employment and general health. I truly believe that the cultural framework can be implemented and transferred into any service this framework also demonstrates our values: Service, Unity, Respect and Faith.
What is the missing bit that you’re finding through learning with Nga Vaka?
They’ve been able to demonstrate that you can have culture, practice and policy but also that sense of your faith being practiced in your everyday service. You can have all those things and be true to yourself in the way that you approach people. Rather than trying to navigate a western world and trying to apply western learnings to Pacific people.
Nga Vaka has done the groundwork in terms of capturing the voices of Pacific peoples and what they want to see and how they want to be served. K’aute Pasifika is on that journey, and we hope to get there to be able to deliver the same types of workshops in our community, in our own Pasifika way as well. What Nga Vaka has evoked is – family violence needs to be addressed. It is a serious issue. It is brutal.
It is damaging families and communities. New Zealand needs to wake up to this and take approaches where cultural competency will teach us to learn, honour and respect the different cultures within our societies. This will enable us to work with families better, engage more effectively and develop meaningful relationships. These actions address family violence and Nga Vaka with the various Pacific frameworks and the resources, empowers us the opportunities to put these into our practices. This is what K’aute Pasifika serves to do and this is reflected in our mission and vision statement.
"New Zealand needs to wake up to this and take approaches where cultural competency will teach us to learn, honour and respect the different cultures within our societies. This will enable us to work with families better, engage more effectively and develop meaningful relationships."