Three years ago, three Pasifika mums from the same wider family, found that every time they got together their conversation turned to the same topic – how to help Pasifika parents who they could see were so often struggling to support their young people to grow into successful and resilient adulthood.
So they established an NGO. They called the community organisation Failoa Famili – Just do it Family.
Today Failoa! Just Do it! Is becoming not only an imperative for a growing number of Pasifika families and community groups, it has become a metaphor for the way this small organisation works, accessing small amounts of funding and using Pasifika networks and values to drive their vision of ‘thriving, resilient, sustainable Pasifika peoples, families and communities.’
We talked with co-founder and Executive Director, Naomi Saluni Tavau:
”Young people these days have a lot to deal with. The way society is now, their parents have to work to meet basic needs, so some of the life skills that children would normally learn at home are not happening. Social media is unfortunately stepping into that gap and having a negative impact. We wanted to provide life skills and information, not just for young people, but for the whole family. Skills like how to build coping strategies through selfdevelopment, financial wellbeing, employment skills, workplace health and safety, nutrition and healthy lifestyle.”
So Failoa Famili developed a Life Skills training programme and applied to ACE Aotearoa for a Professional Development grant which would enable them to train parents as the trainers. Collaboration is a prerequisite for these grants. This was easy for Failoa Famili because collaboration and working together is at the heart of the Pasifika approach. In 2020, together with a small group of Pasifika churches and organisations they delivered ten courses – in both Auckland and Wellington.
“Although we expected leadership from the parents,” says Naomi, “we took an intergenerational, whole family approach. We wanted to work with all the people living in the same household, understanding the dynamics of multiple cultures and focusing on their needs. Our strategic plan guides us but what drives us is our relationships. These are priceless. You can’t give them a value. For us, it is not about money or the individual. For us it is our families and communities.”
A total of 130 parents and caregivers took part. Of all the Life Skills workshops, the Financial Wellbeing sessions were the most popular.
A big part of the success of the workshops is the way they are delivered.
“Content is important,” says Naomi, “but how it is delivered is more important. We only have Pasifika facilitators who can work from a strengths-based holistic approach. We know our Pasifika families have their faith, their culture and their community and knowing that we can deliver a programme that meets their needs. Our facilitators are able to deliver in a way that our people can relate to with talanoa, stories and visuals – all the tools that help them engage better in a two-hour evening workshop format with food to share. Reciprocity is one of our Pasifika values.”
And it’s reciprocity and relationships that extend the networks. For example when Naomi helped the Aute Pasifika Sports Academy establish their charitable trust, Tavai Meni from the academy helped organise the Life Skills workshops.
“We have an average of 20–25 in each workshop,” says Tavai. “Whole families come along. It has been good for me and my family too. We have learned about how to budget, and this has really helped us use money wisely and save a few dollars. The workshop on nutrition has meant that we have changed the way we eat. I know that the other families have got a lot of good things out of the workshop too. They are thinking more about education. About aiming high for the future. To stop renting and buy a house. We need more education workshops like these.”
This collaborative, empowerment, leadership model is the way Failoa Famili is getting out to more communities.
“We tap into our values to drive our vision,” says Naomi. “Our social capital is the key to our sustainable business model. We tap into our networks and find the people who have the skills and connections to deliver our programmes. My job is to apply for funding to drive our strategic intent. Where Pasifika lack in financial capital, we make up for it in spades with our social capital. Our social capital belongs to us.
It is us.”
“We’ve probably worked with over 40 different groups and they’re a mix. You’ve got church groups, you’ve got community groups, you’ve got family groups, you’ve got school groups.”
Once Failoa Famili understand the needs of a particular group, they tailor a programme and look for the best source of funding. This has enabled Failoa Famili to offer additional quality programmes and services, tapping into a whole range of funding and mostly in collaboration with other organisations (see below).
“I think what has pushed us,” says Naomi, ”is Covid. Covid has highlighted inequity in the system, so we are doing our best to support our people through information, education and advocacy. Many are stressed and don’t know how to negotiate the system well, so they miss out on support. Customised Pasifika food packs meet the immediate need as our short-term response, but upskilling is what will make a sustainable difference.
“We have lots of skills on the Board and access to some good people as well. When we need things to happen, we will make it happen.”
Other Failoa Famili programmes
Pacific Women in Tech – helping Pasifika women explore a career in IT. Sixty attended the first event. A further 180 came to programmes in Auckland and Wellington, and it was watched online by over 4000. Funded by the Ministry of Education, COGS and ACE Aotearoa.
Kakai talavou – 21-day life journal – helping young people and families re-engage with the education system by offering life skills and mentoring sessions. Funded by the Pacific Education Support Fund in collaboration with community groups.
Financial capability and pathway to home ownership – financial capability and education workshops in partnership with JMS Accounting. Funded by MPP.
Project ikuna – a government-funded programme in partnership with Auckland Unlimited – helping people working in low paid jobs at risk of technological change.
Puataunofo come home safely – in collaboration with Worksafe. This is part of the life skills workshops and teaches practical strategies to help raise awareness of workplace health and safety issues for low skilled Pasifika workers in high-risk industries.
Aganu’u fa’asamoa – in response to students and parents wanting to learn more about the Samoan culture, customs and language. It is a programme where Samoan elderly experts share their stories, values and knowledge in the Samoan language. Funded by the Ministry of Education and in partnership with Pasifika Hub.
Food secure and sustainability – learning about zero waste as well as teaching people how to be more sustainable and make their own healthy food at home whilst saving money at the same time. Funded by ADRA New Zealand and the MSD food secure fund.
Pasifika Connections – bringing together a cross section of Pasifika community groups, organisations and small business for networking and funding support over a series of four workshops. Some positive outcomes have enabled people and organisations to engage with each other’s products or services. Funded by Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board.
Reading together – a Ministry of Education initiative helping parents support their children’s reading and learning in a
Pasifika way – using practical strategies, talanoa and food sharing. The programme has been delivered in Auckland and the Hutt Valley.
Pasifika manuia – this pilot programme is aimed at strengthening the health and wellbeing for Pasifika families through a series of life skills workshops and health expos designed to build coping strategies, confidence and resilience. It is delivered in collaboration with the Hutt Valley Samoan Seventh-Day Adventist Church with funding support from ADRA NZ and North NZ SDA Church.
Talanoa ako – the Ministry of Education programme delivered in partnership with the Lower Hutt-based charitable Trust, Pasifika Hub.