Workforce Development

The Pacific Family Violence Prevention Training Programme (PFVPTP) is part of the Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu framework. Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu sets out the key cultural concepts and principles that promote family wellbeing for each of the eight ethnic specific Pacific communities living in Aotearoa NZ: Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, and Tuvalu. 

The PFVPTP is intended to build the capability of providers and practitioners by providing culturally appropriate responses to Pacific individuals and families affected by family violence. However, there is a low number of practitioners in New Zealand therefore the PFVPTP allows for people of influence in the Pacific communities to be part of the training. 

Tongan Family Violence Prevention Training Programme 

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝘁𝘂 𝗧𝘂𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗞'𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻.

𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗴𝗮 𝗩𝗮𝗸𝗮 𝗼 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗽𝘂'𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, ‘𝗙𝗼𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗮 𝗲 𝗞𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮’,  𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.

𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 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'𝘀 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. 

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲.

Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu: 

• is a conceptual framework for addressing family violence in eight Pacific communities in New Zealand. It is informed by, and aligned with, the eight ethnic-specific conceptual reports on addressing family violence, and a supporting literature review (refer diagram below) 
• is intended as a guide for policy writers. It defines and explains meanings of family violence, and key concepts and principles that promote family wellbeing for the eight ethnic-specific communities 
• along with the eight ethnic-specific conceptual frameworks will inform the development of training programmes to assist ethnic specific practitioners, and service providers and non- Pacific practitioners working with Pacific victims, perpetrators and families affected by family violence 
• takes a strengths-based approach. This approach begins with the premise that wellbeing, peace, prosperity and harmony are states to which all Pacific peoples aspire, and that core aspects of culture are significant in maintaining and restoring wellbeing to families 

• is a relational framework underpinned by the belief that all people and things are interconnected and interdependent. It brings together shared concepts and principles that promote wellbeing across the eight ethnic groups, without disturbing their essential meanings 
• is a living document. As new knowledge is introduced to the ethnic-specific frameworks, Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu will also evolve. 

For more information on the Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu framework HERE 

 Also, of interest 

Nga Vaka Fono emphasises important of culture in preventing Family Violence

Nga Vaka o Kāiga Tapu – Reclaiming and revitalising culture as the basis of wellbeing

Proud to be Pasefika