ASDAH Community Adventure
Auckland Seventh-Day Adventist High School Community Day At ASDAH School in Mangere, we ran a stall as part of a career expo-style event alongside a range of other organisations. The event created a lively and welcoming environment where students could explore different services, opportunities, and pathways while connecting with groups in their community. Our stall stood out by combining fun, interaction, and education in a way that encouraged students to get involved. We set up games of cornhole and ring toss, which quickly attracted plenty of interest. Students came over to have a go, challenge their friends, and enjoy the friendly competition. The games created a relaxed atmosphere and made it easy for students to approach the stall and participate. The activity was designed to be both entertaining and informative. Depending on how many bean bags they landed in cornhole or how many rings they tossed successfully, students were asked a question related to health, wellbeing, or sexual and reproductive health. Some questions were simple conversation starters, while others encouraged students to think more deeply about healthy choices, self-care, respectful relationships, and where to seek support when needed. Being part of a wider careers expo made the experience even more valuable, as students were already in a mindset of learning, discovery, and engagement. Our stall added an interactive element to the event, helping to show that conversations about health and wellbeing can be approachable, relevant, and empowering. Overall, the event was a great success. Through cornhole, ring toss, and meaningful questions, we created a space that was fun, inclusive, and educational. It was rewarding to see students actively participating, learning something new, and engaging confidently with important topics around health, wellbeing, and sexual and reproductive health.
Youth Week 2026
Youth Week 2026: Young Voices Leading the Way Village Collective partnered with Papakura High School’s Kura Moana Pacific Council to celebrate Youth Week 2026 through a series of youth-led events that amplified the voices and talents of young people. Echoes of the Village provided a platform for young people to share songs, spoken word, and reflections on the issues that matter most to them, creating a space for authentic expression and connection. The celebrations concluded with a Whānau Fun Day attended by more than 100 young people and their families. Alongside free kai, games, prizes, trivia, and bingo, attendees had access to immunisations and health checks, with young people leading by example in prioritising their health and wellbeing while encouraging their whānau to do the same.
Just SAYN 2026
Just SAYN Symposium 2026: Sharing Pacific Perspectives Village Collective was proud to contribute to the SAYN Symposium 2026, joining youth development leaders from across Aotearoa to explore the theme of ancestral intelligence. Tyson Pula represented Village Collective on the New Gen Panel, sharing reflections on how cultural knowledge and community values continue to shape effective youth work practice. Jordan Khan and Sisilia Fakalata also delivered a workshop on Pacific approaches to Rainbow allyship, encouraging participants to consider how cultural values and relationships can support safe, inclusive, and affirming environments for Rainbow+ Pacific communities.
Red Carpet Time
Thursday, 23 March 2023 – 11:21 Red Carpet Time Recently we held a red carpet event at Event Cinemas Manukau where we invited participants in Matua ma Talavou to come along and watch a short documentary of our journey to date. It was a highlight for many as they marvelled at seeing themselves on the big screen. It was great to have our partner in this project TOA Pacific share in the evening with staff along with CEO Malia Hamani in attendance. With over 130 guests present, it was a great night filled with laughter and joy. Check our some of our photos below. For more information, email infor@villagecollective.nz.
Matala
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 16:33 Matala Matala carries many beautiful meanings across the Pacific, in Tonga it speaks of blossoming, and in Samoa of opening. Flowers are gifts to the world, and so are we as Rainbow people. Like flowers, we grow, thrive, and flourish into the fullness of who we are. Through Rainbow Fale, Matala creates safe spaces in schools for Rainbow young people to feel affirmed, included, and supported. Alongside this, Matala also delivers workshops aligned to the school curriculum, helping to embed learning and awareness in ways that are meaningful and relevant for students and teachers alike. Currently active in six South Auckland schools (and having worked with over ten schools over the years), the program provides a foundation of belonging an empowerment. Young people often begin their journey with Matala, then move to Mafutaga after leaving school, and eventually join Va’hine Lei, ensuring a lifelong pathway of connection and community.
Mafutaga
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 16:56 Mafutaga Mafutaga is a word that carries the spirit of gathering, connection, and fellowship. It reflects the strength of coming together as one, to share stories, wisdom, laughter, and support. Just as woven strands form a strong mat, our Rainbow community weaves bonds of belonging through Mafutaga. This space is designed for Pasifika Rainbow young adults who left school and are stepping into new journeys of study, work, or life. It is also a space for our Matala members still in school to come together, be surrounded by like-minded individuals, and gain a deeper sense of belonging and community. Mafutaga provides a safe and affirming environment where members can continues to be nurtured, grow in confidence, and remain connected to their wider Rainbow whanau. As part of the wider Rainbow Fale journey, many begin with Matala in schools, continue through Mafutaga as young adults, and later find connection in Va’hine Lei ensuring that at every stage of life, there is a place to belong, to flourish, and to be affirmed.
Va’hine Lei
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 17:05 Va’hine Lei was created to connect with the older generation of the Pasifika Rainbow community, offering a safe and affirming space to relax, share food, and engage in deep talanoa. The name Va’hine Lei carries deep meaning: Va speaks to keeping the sacred and respectful space between us as a group, Hine honors women and femininity across the moana, and Lei represents flowers, symbolizing our members as gifts, the flowers we are to nature and to the world. Meeting once a month, the group nurtures belonging for those who may often feel isolated as the only Pasifika Rainbow representation in their workplaces or fields. Members come from diverse backgrounds across health and youth sectors, bringing their experiences, wisdom, and voices into a space where they can be uplifted, affirmed, and surrounded by like-minded community.
Matala Ball
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 17:11 Matala Ball The ballroom scene and culture originated in New York in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s , where queer and trans Black and Latinx communities – excluded from mainstream pageants, created their own underground safe spaces to host ballroom competitions. In the early 2000’s, Aotearoa began to recognize this culture, and in 2013 the first official ballroom scene was established in South Auckland, Otara. Since then, the scene has grown into a thriving ballroom community across Aotearoa. Village Collective has been hosting kiki balls since 2021, and this year our aim was to host a grand Matala Ball to bring the community together once again. This event was a collaboration between Village Collective and the Aotearoa Ballroom Council, with a group from the Council selected to help plan and organize the Matala Ball. What made this ball particularly special was the ballroom workshops held the evening before, led by our international Mothers from Australia: the legendary founding Mother Ella Alexander, and Jaycee Iman, the founding of the House of Iman. The Matala Ball itself took place the following evening, showcasing eight categories that celebrated creativity, expression, and excellence within our community. The weekend of providing festivities closed with a traditional Sunday ballroom toonai (brunch), providing a final moment for everyone to connect, reflect, and say their goodbyes before departing.
Lamepa Pathways
Thursday, 2 October 2025 – 17:19 Lamepa Pathways Lamepa Pathways draws inspiration from the Samoan word Lamepa, meaning lamp or candlelight, symbolizing the light, love and acceptance brought to the many Pasifika journeys of families navigating the pathway of raising and supporting their Rainbow+ child or family member. In 2014, Village Collective released The Clearing Pathways booklet, providing a resource to support Pasifika families on their journey. Building on this foundation, Rainbow Fale envisioned a “Part 2” in the form of a docuseries, making these stories more accessible online for Pasifika young people and their families. Lamepa Pathways features five Pasifika families from across Auckland and Hamilton, capturing the richness and diversity of their cultures, identities, and experiences in raising and supporting their Rainbow+ loved ones. Snippets of these families are already available on the Village Collective and Rainbow Fale instagram pages, with the full docuseries set to be released in the near future. The series illuminates these unique journeys, offering both affirmation and guidance for families navigating similar pathways. This event was more than just a zumba class – it was a reminder that wellbeing is holistic. When we move together, share food together, and take care of our health together, we strengthen the bonds that keep our community thriving.
Zumba for Wellbeing – Moving, Learning, and Thriving Together
Saturday, 4 October 2025 – 11:59 Zumba for Wellbeing – Moving, Learning, and Thriving Together Held at Alfriston College, 16 June 2025 On a chilly June evening, Village Collective teamed up with local legend and certified Zumba instructor, Jenniene Fleming, and Alfriston College to host a special event: Zumba Community Event. This vibrant night brought together whanau, students, and community members for a celebration of movement, health and connection. Jenniene, who runs regular zumba classes at Alfriston College every Monday and Wednesday, led the session with her trademark energy and joy. Alfriston College’s student leaders also joined in, creating a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere as they danced alongside participants and encouraged everyone to get moving. While the evening was originally planned to include a formal health talk, the program pivoted to provide personalized health education woven directly into the health checks and immunization stations. In partnership with SouthPoint Family Doctors, an immunization drive was offered, with HPV, Boostrix, MMR, Meningococcal, and Flu vaccines available. Alongside this, our Pasifika Care Team – Rubashnee and Unaisi – provided free health checks, including diabetes screening and general wellbeing support, ensuring every attendee left with knowledge to strengthen their health journey. To keep spirits high in the midst of the winter chill, Village Collective provided warm koko alisa and a sausage sizzle, served throughout the evening – a simple but heartfelt way to nourish both body and soul. As an extra encouragement to prioritize health, every person who took part in a health check, updated their vaccination status, or received diabetes screening was entered into a draw to win one of three Pak’nSave grocery vouchers. Amazingly, the draw found it’s way to three wonderful mothers – each walking away with a voucher to support their families in the coming weeks. It was a heartwarming reminder that when we invest in community wellbeing, the rewards ripple out to where they are needed most. This event was more than just a zumba class – it was a reminder that wellbeing is holistic. When we move together, share food together, and take care of our health together, we strengthen the bonds that keep our community thriving.