Inside the Village Collective
Nestled along bustling Druces Road, Village Collective stands as a beacon of support for Pasifika youth and families in South Auckland. Recently, Wiri Business had the privilege of meeting the Village Collective, to uncover their initiatives to enrich the community.
The charitable trust focuses on empowering the next generation by providing equitable and innovative services. Their logo consists of three fales that represent three workstreams; Talavou, Rainbow and Community.
A proud accomplishment for Village Collectives’ Pasifika young people was having them lead the co-design and launch of Aotearoa’s first Pasifika Youth One Stop Shop (YOSS). Talavou Village YOSS is an approach to remove the barriers that exist for young people to access health and wellbeing support. This includes not knowing where to go, cost, time, fear of embarrassment, judgement, lack of youth friendly practices, lack of trust in the health and social system and loss of confidentiality.
Step inside Talavou Village Youth One Stop Shop (YOSS) and you’re greeted by an explosion of colour and culture—a welcoming haven co-designed by Pasifika Youth for Pasifika Youth. Here, the emphasis is on prevention over cure, championing the holistic wellbeing of youth and families.
“We need a safe space from cultural insensitivity” says Yvette Sapatu, Youth Activator.
Community Fale
Community Fale focuses on community outreach initiatives in partnership with like-minded community groups or organisations:
- Umata Network: A peer support network for Pacific MVPFAFF/LGBTQIA+ practitioners in health and social services.
- TEU Wardrobe: offering young people free, accessible clothing within a safe and inclusive space. Additionally, the “Readiness” programme within TEU Wardrobe equips youth with skills to pursue their wellbeing goals, using fashion as a medium in a supportive environment.
- Mātua ma Talavou (MMT): In collaboration with TOA Pacific, MMT fosters intergenerational knowledge transfer between young people (Talavou) and older adults (Mātua) addressing isolation and loneliness through cultural identity.
Rainbow Fale
Rainbow Fale focuses on creating supportive and safe environments for Pasifika rainbow youth through these key initiatives:
- Diversity Groups: Increases safe spaces in schools through workshops that address but aren’t limited to self-esteem, gender and cultural identity/gender expression for rainbow young people. These are weekly engagements in 8 South Auckland secondary schools.
- Mafutaga: Expands on diversity groups and brings together members of diversity groups. These psychosocial activities are held fortnightly at Talavou Village and is open to Rainbow identifying young people aged 13-20.
- LLG (Legends Leadership Group): A weekly initiative offering leadership workshops tailored for MVPFAFF+ students, aimed at developing practical skills for success in school, post-graduation, and everyday life.
Talavou Fale
Talavou Fale supports and prepares younger members of the community for their teenage and young adult years through these programs:
- NAVIG8: A comprehensive Relationships and Sexuality Education Programme incorporating drama learning outcomes aligned with the NZ Health & Physical Education Curriculum.
- Ola Fou Learning: Free and accessible tutoring designed and led by young Pasifika for young Pasifika, aimed at supporting students in their studies within a safe and inclusive environment.
Village Collective is important as it enhances the voices of our youth. Our programmes are designed for youth to fully express their concerns and passions that lead up to establishments of our facilities. Support from other businesses means more youth are being heard, encourages them that their voices matter and that they are deserving of the care as our next generation of leaders” concludes Jenna Fruean, Youth Activator.
Wiri Business is proud to have supported the Village Collective’s TEU Wardrobe earlier this year. Our $2000 donation goes towards purchasing items for the TEU Wardrobe to ensure Pacifika youth are work ready.
If your business is keen to support Village Collective, you can collaborate on social media engagement, sponsorships, and donations of resources—from clothing for TEU Wardrobe to educational materials for programs like NAVIG8.
For more information, reach out to Village Collective at info@villagecollective.nz or visit our social media channels:
- Instagram: @villagecollective, @talavouvillage @rainbowfale21, @teu_wardrobe
- Facebook: Village Collective, Rainbow Fale, TEU Wardrobe
- TikTok: VillageCollective