Established in 2012 by Tongan church leaders, they had a vision to have one collective Tongan voice responsible for taking care of their community.

Most recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation found themselves at the forefront of addressing both the needs of Tongan families but the wider Pasifika community in Porirua and Wellington.

Whānau Ora General Manager for the Wellington Tongan Leaders Council, Tae Tu’inukuafe, says she was driven by the passion for her community to address their key needs during that period of time.

“Our families need all sorts of support with their rent, food, utilities and since the pandemic we have seen an increase of needs across the last two years.”

The team at the Wellington Tongan Leaders Council are forward thinking and currently look after forty families under the Whānau Ora programme. 

Tu’inukuafe emphasises that sustainability and innovation is key to maintaining the growth and development of their community. 

“Looking ahead, our focus is to enhance our family connections and to build on our current strategy which focuses on health, well-being and forward thinking outcomes for our people.”

An example of their innovation is their recently developed Tongan language app, called Takaua, which launched during Tongan Language week this year. Deputy Chair, Reverend and Treasurer for the organisation, Sofi Ta’ufo’ou says the purpose of the app is to help progress the Tongan language by upskilling people’s use and understanding of it and to help preserve the language for generations to come.

Upon reflection, the Wellington Tongan Leaders Council are heavily grateful for the journey they have taken thus far. They expressed immense gratitude for the support they receive from Pasifika Futures which allow them to support families and communities in need of assistance.

Tu’inukuafe is grateful for the opportunity to serve Tongan and Pacific families and is thankful that they can have a positive impact on the community.

“Seeing families be appreciative of the support we provide is immeasurable; for them, the help feels major. I just love to see results and being able to enhance the livelihood of people in our community. It truly feels like we are achieving great things for our people.”