Two teams have joined forces to create programmes for Pacific families dealing with a disability.
Polyactive Hawkes Bay and Adaptive Whakauru Tahi Charitable Trust (AWTCT) are on a mission to boost the power of those facing mobility challenges.
Vili Malaitai of Polyactive aims to shift the belief that Pacific Islanders must solely care for disabled family members and to promote the use of available services.
“Our Pasifika people just stay at home," Malaitai says. "They have family members with disabilities but keep their kids at home instead of exploring opportunities like this.
"So for me, one thing I like that we do at Polyactive is we want to allow our Pacific people to open doors to new things.”
Tailored to families' needs
Their first step to help their community is to have an open talanoa (discussion) about Pacific disability and their needs.
Leanna Becker (founder of Adaptive Whakauru Tahi Charitable Trust) explains that its programmes are designed to enhance mobility for everyone.
“How we’re going to do this is to tailor the programme to suit the needs of the individual attending. When the severity of the disability doesn’t allow them to attend the classes, we can go visit them one-to-one so that they’re not missing out.
"The people with the highest severity of disabilities sometimes can be quite isolated. So we’re going to find those people, and we’re going to bring them out and connect them.”
Hawkes Bay Sport is funding the initiative, meaning the disability service is free for those in need of it.
Need seen in region
A free meal will be provided for attendees of an upcoming information session at the Hastings Sports Park in Hawke's Bay next month.
Blossom Sale, who has a form of cancer-related paraplegia, is pumped about the new initiative.
"There is a need here in Hawke's Bay, in particular for our Pasifika community who are less abled.
"I've been waiting for that for so long and I'm so glad it's happening and it's happening for our younger generation. I hope there's no age limit on it, so the more mature less-abled people in the community can come to join too."
Polyactive is a community group that runs hip-hop and island-style dance classes with AWTCT, an organisation that holds fitness classes for the disabled.
Becker says the programme they will produce has had a lot of thought gone into it and it’s not a one size fits all.
'Learn and grow'
"It's working with people who have disabilities and speaking with their families, doing a bit of research around what they actually want, not, 'hey I've got this programme and this is how it's going to be'.
"It's not like that, it's what you as a family want," she says.
Malaitai is eager to start working towards improving the health of individuals with disabilities.
"This programme is important; we're giving our Pacific people this ability and opportunity to be better and to learn and grow - becoming fitter, stronger, healthier, and living longer.”
For more information about the programme visit their post here.