From the ground up: Fa’atauanau with the Valkyries
Health begins where people already gather. The Valkyries are one example of what that looks like in West Auckland. Part of New Lynn Stags rugby league club, the Valkyries started with one team in 2024. By 2025 they had three. Their coaches will tell you that growth had nothing to do with winning. Girls come […]
Rongomaiwhiti Rīki in Glen Eden
Every tamaiti in Aotearoa should be able to walk up to their local sport club filled with excitement and anticipation about joining their local team – whatever language they dream in, whatever school they come from. Without wondering whether they’ll understand the referee, their teammates, or the cheers from the sideline. Just belonging. Confident and […]
Oranga Waha
In West Auckland, an initiative is asking the question: what if every rangatahi Māori and Pacific grew up knowing their waha — their voice, their smile, their hauora — was uniquely theirs? Knowing how to look after it, where to find support, and feeling confident enough to walk through that door. “Your waha is more […]
The Village Pathway
Strengthening collective identity across generations is quietly future-focused work. It is about ensuring younger people grow up seeing their history honoured openly, while elders see their knowledge carried forward. It is about cultural continuity that feels alive and practised and it is one of the most powerful ways communities build the environments where health and […]
Transformed: Living Well to Serve Well
What if health was seen not as self-focus, but as an act of service? That question sits at the heart of Transformed, a faith-led wellbeing initiative redefining what it means to live well. The idea for Transformed emerged out of As One, a major Pentecost gathering that brought together West Auckland churches, most serving Pasifika […]
Rethinking Leadership: Lessons from Wayfinding
Leadership is not a destination. It’s a journey of making meaning – one that begins with knowing yourself, being grounded in values, and drawing strength from those who have come before. Yet for many young people today, that journey is anything but straightforward. Mental health challenges are rising, access to support is uneven, and the […]
Our Past, Your Tomorrow: The Village Project
[Photographer: Seth Siope] When we carry a living connection to the places our ancestors called home, we inherit more than stories – we inherit identity, belonging, and ways of being that keep us well. Grounded in language, practices, and the wisdom of our tautupuna (ancestors), Niue culture does more than survive – it flourishes, becoming […]
Celebrating Community-Led Change: Mana Motuhake o Te Kai Evaluation Released
We’re proud to share the release of the Mana Motuhake o Te Kai evaluation — a rich reflection on the journey so far and the collective impact of communities championing local food sovereignty in West Auckland. This kaupapa was born from the belief that communities hold the solutions to reclaiming their own food systems and […]
Hologa Niue Cultural Festival 2025: A Systems Return Perspective
The first-ever Hologa Niue Cultural Festival was an outstanding success, uniting thousands of Niueans recently in Tāmaki Makaurau. A vibrant celebration of vagahau Niue (Niuean language), heritage, culture, and tradition, the event marked a new dawn for the Niuean community in Aotearoa. Spearheaded by the Three Star Nation community group, Hologa Niue is part of […]
Kai network helps unite community in growing Massey Kai Village
As the cost-of-living soars and access to healthy food becomes increasingly challenging, local residents and organisations are coming together to bridge the gap to ensure everyone has access to nourishing, affordable kai. Around the Massey suburb of West Auckland, the Massey Kai Village initiative is bringing together a network of partners in the local kai […]