‘Culture is our medicine’: Hupahupa With Tautape weaves reconnection, pride and healing through Cook Islands dance
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

‘Culture is our medicine’: Hupahupa With Tautape weaves reconnection, pride and healing through Cook Islands dance

Hupahupa With Tautape (HWT) is more than a dance programme. It’s a reclaiming. A reconnection. A quiet revolution.

Led by passionate Cook Islands tutor, mentor and founder Rahui Tautape Samson, HWT brings together tamariki aged 5 to 15 to learn Cook Islands dance, language, drumming and storytelling — but with one condition: their parents must stay for the session too.

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Rooted in Worth: Seed 2 Harvest Creates Space for Rangatahi to Rise
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Rooted in Worth: Seed 2 Harvest Creates Space for Rangatahi to Rise

At Seed 2 Harvest, wellbeing isn’t a side conversation — it’s at the centre of everything. In a world where many Pacific youth navigate layers of cultural pressure, spiritual expectation, and unspoken struggle, the Toa Rangatahi Workshop created something rare: a space to breathe, to be real, and to be seen.

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Rhythm, Roots & Reconnection: The Heartbeat of Aktive Zone
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Rhythm, Roots & Reconnection: The Heartbeat of Aktive Zone

Every night of the week, the New Lynn Community Centre transforms into something bigger than a venue. It becomes a village — full of movement, laughter, rhythm, and pride.

Aktive Zone is more than a program; it’s a living, breathing community where West Auckland’s children, youth, and families come together to move, connect, and celebrate who they are.

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Fuelled, Focused, and Fed: ProPare’s Game Plan for Young Men
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Fuelled, Focused, and Fed: ProPare’s Game Plan for Young Men

Tucked away in the heart of New Lynn, there’s a space that hums with energy - not just from the clanking of weights or the slap of boots on turf, but from the quiet confidence of young men transforming their lives.

This is ProPare, short for Professional Preparation -  a Pacific-led youth development trust that’s flipping the script for young Pacific and Māori men aged 14 to 18. It’s a place where fitness and futures go hand in hand, where boys become brothers, and where wellbeing is more than just a buzzword - it’s a daily practice.

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Olaga Lei: A New Chapter in Pasifika Youth Work Wellbeing 
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Olaga Lei: A New Chapter in Pasifika Youth Work Wellbeing 

In a major step forward for Pasifika youth in West Auckland, the Le Moana West Collective has announced a $52,000 funding boost to support the Pasifika Olaga Lei Project—a transformative initiative that focuses on uplifting the wellbeing of 'by Pasifika, for Pasifika' youth organizations' in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

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Walking Together Towards Zero Waste: Auckland’s Collective Vision
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Walking Together Towards Zero Waste: Auckland’s Collective Vision

Collectives from West Auckland Together, Le Moana West, and The West Auckland Māori Thought Leadership gathered at the new Tipping Point site, igniting a shared sense of purpose. With the presence of Waste Solutions, MPHS, and Waste Operations, the hui focused on raising awareness around a crucial goal: a sustainable, Zero Waste future for Auckland.

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Le Moana West: A New Era of Collaboration for Pacific Communities
Kayla Schwalger Kayla Schwalger

Le Moana West: A New Era of Collaboration for Pacific Communities

In an exciting move for West Auckland’s Pacific community, Ruta Tonumaivao, Healthy Families Waitākere Pacific Systems Innovator and co-founder of Tapasā Navigating Futures, has been appointed as the Collaboration & Engagement Lead for the Le Moana West Collective.

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