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.
Led by Repeka and Jennings George, alongside youth representative Marcella Hall, the workshop brought together young people aged 16–21 for a full-day experience focused on identity, faith, and healing. There were no long lectures. Instead, there were stories. Shared by youth. Spoken from the heart. A panel. Open talanoa. Grounding time at Piha. And dinner together to close the day - full, whole, and connected.
Because for many young Pacific people, the silence is loud. The pressure to “be strong,” the fear of disappointing family, and the unspoken belief that faith means having no struggle - it’s a heavy mix. Many of our rangatahi have learned to hold it all in. To smile on the outside. To stay quiet, even when they’re hurting.
“Our young people are worth it,” says Repeka. “They deserve to understand their identity and see themselves through the eyes of love, not pressure. We wove in traditional and Indigenous practices - because those are our roots. And from those roots, healing grows.”
Seed 2 Harvest’s story began with one family and 20 food parcels. Today, that same spirit of simple gestures and big love is fuelling something deeper: the restoration of the vā - the sacred space between people, where young people feel safe to share their journeys, cry if they need to, and speak of God without fear of being judged.
For Marcella, the workshop was only the beginning:
“It’s a tough topic, but we need to talk about wellbeing. Rangatahi have real challenges - anxiety, self-doubt, identity confusion. And spaces like this let them open up, support each other, and know they’re not alone.”
Josiah, another youth speaker, spoke candidly about the pressure to succeed and the fear of letting people down - especially his family, who mean everything to him. After finishing his Architecture degree, he found himself feeling like it still wasn’t enough. Between the worlds of work, church, and home, that feeling became heavy to carry. One day at work, someone told him, “You can’t do that.” Those four words were a turning point. Now, Josiah is setting records in Auckland and national-level powerlifting competitions — a space where he’s built confidence, clarity, and identity. He hopes to represent Aotearoa on the international stage.
Elisa, another youth speaker, voiced what many feel but struggle to say: “It’s important to speak out. Especially as young Pacific people - if we don’t deal with things, they can build up and break us. But we’re allowed to talk. We’re allowed to heal.”
That’s the heart of the kaupapa: not to fix people, but to remind them they’re already worthy. That faith and vulnerability can walk hand in hand. That talking doesn’t make you weak — it means you’re finally letting someone help carry the weight.
The Toa Rangatahi Workshop was held at the Seed 2 Harvest home base in West Auckland. Though it was a one-off event, there are dreams to hold more - because healing doesn’t happen overnight, and neither does confidence. But it starts here.
It starts with brave conversations. With shared laughter, tears, and truth. It starts with young people who know they matter.
This workshop was made possible thanks to the Olaga Lei initiative, which supports 12 Pasefika-by-Pasefika organisations to strengthen community wellbeing. It is proudly backed by the Le Moana West Collective and funded through the Department of Internal Affairs.
