Fast-Tracking Pacific Voices Can Transform Workforces

A Conversation That Changed Everything

Papali’i likened it to picking fruit from a tree before it was ripe: everyone ends up with a sore tummy.”

When I started as a network coordinator at Drive Consumer Direction, my focus was supporting our Counties Manukau community. Then Papali’i asked me to meet him — and that talanoa changed everything.

He shared his vision for the Pacific lived experience workforce: people in recovery were being fast-tracked into roles before they were ready. Without proper support, many struggled, became unwell, or left the workforce entirely. Fast-tracking without mentoring wasn’t helping — it was harming.

Papali’i’s vision was clear: a workforce where Pacific voices are nurtured, supported, and guided before stepping into roles.

While we are still building the capacity to provide mentoring and cultural supervision consistently, this remains our goal. The idea is to eventually create a system where peers are fully prepared, resilient, and empowered to transform the workforce.

Our History and Growth

3Village1island’s founding document dates back to 2010, but it was after my 2018 meeting with Papali’i that the vision truly came alive.

In 2022, we held our first national in-person fono, gathering Pacific people from across Aotearoa to share stories of disability, addiction, and mental health. The report that emerged captured the voices of our communities and marked a turning point: 3Village1island was now a national movement.

Today, we are in the process of becoming a registered charity and have been invited to join Le Va’s workforce partners, with two years of funding to support our work. We are currently preparing our 2025 national fono report — a roadmap that charts the impact of fast-tracking Pacific voices in ways that are sustainable and culturally grounded.

“3Village1island is not just a dream — it is a movement transforming workforces, step by step, with our people at the centre.”

Our Villages and Leadership

3Village1island is structured around three villages, each reflecting a key part of Pacific lived experience:

• Mana Pasefika – disability, co-chaired by Fonoti Pati Umaga QSM
• Drua Va Manuia – addiction, co-chaired by Tugalua Paul None and myself
• Tangata Moana Nui – mental health, co-chaired by Moko Kairua

Guiding us all is our Matua, Papali’i Seiuli Johnny Siaosi KSM, whose vision inspires every step. Each village is a place for connection, learning, and sharing ideas, laying the groundwork for the future goal of mentoring and cultural support for Pacific peers before they step into roles.

Three Truths That Guide Us

1. Community-Led Change
Decisions about Pacific peoples are often made without us. Our talanoa spaces let lived experience lead, shaping services, peer support, and advocacy from the inside.

“Fast-tracking Pacific voices isn’t about speed — it’s about sustainable impact.”

2. Strength in Culture & Connection
Wellbeing for Pacific peoples is inseparable from identity, family, and spirituality. Culture is the foundation of effective workforce participation. Our work ensures every peer can bring their whole self to their role, strengthening teams and services alike.

“Every story has mana, and every person deserves to be held in a way that honours their identity.”

3. Building a Future Together
We are laying pathways for a lived experience workforce that will be here in ten years — confident, capable, and unapologetically Pacific. By supporting the growth of our voices today, and working toward a future with mentoring and cultural support, we can transform the workforce for generations to come.

Who Can Join Us?

3Village1island is open to Pacific people with lived experience of mental health, addiction, or disability — and to our fanau. You don’t need to be working in the sector, or even training for it. What matters is your voice and your experience.

Join our aiga here.

Access our guiding documents here.

Visit our website here.

We also welcome those who want to share ideas for improving the system. Tell us where the gaps are, and together we can design programmes that fill them.

"The more of us there are, the more change we can lead — change that reflects our real experiences and aspirations."

A Call to Action

For me, this work began with one conversation and a simple invitation from Papali’i. Now I extend that same invitation to you.

Join us. Walk alongside us. Share our story, support our kaupapa, and help us grow fruit that is nurtured, supported, and ready when the time is right.

“By nurturing Pacific voices today, we can transform the workforce of tomorrow.”