New initiative aims to empower Pasifika youth workers, strengthen community support

Pou Pasifika seeks to strengthen the skills and support networks of Pasifika youth workers, ensuring they are equipped to meet the unique needs of young Pacific people.

Chillion Sanerivi, the national manager of Pou Pasifika, discusses the importance of this initiative with Pacific Mornings host William Terite.

He says that the initiative is a critical step in recognising Pasifika identity within the broader youth development sector, which is largely influenced by Māori values.

“What was very clear from Pasifika youth workers from around the country was that we needed our own identity to complement what already exists, to have te ao Pasifika complement te ao Māori,” Sanerivi says.

Despite an estimated 5000 Pasifika youth workers and practitioners in Aotearoa, there has been no national body to connect and support them until now.

Over the past 18 months, Pasifika youth workers have engaged in talanoa (discussions) about how to better serve and strengthen the Pasifika workforce.

Sanerivi highlights the importance of investing in Pasifika youth workers, especially as they continue to face higher rates of educational disengagement, unemployment, mental health struggles, and interactions with the justice system compared to the general population.

“There’s always a need with youth workers,” he says. “We’re always wanting more youth workers, but what’s important to note is that we want Pacific youth workers that have good, strong, best practices, and that can work in a way that is safe with our young people in our communities.

“I’m a real believer that youth workers can save lives for young people. We save lives by influencing and changing the trajectory of their pathway or their life.

Watch the full interview of Chillion Saneviri on Pacific Mornings below.

“If you’re able to invest time and resources into youth workers, then we also know that young people will thrive because they’ve done such a good job in the way that they’ve engaged with them.”

Sanerivi adds that the initiative will also foster a sense of connection and shared purpose among Pasifika youth workers.

“We work as a village, relationships our currency. And so it’s really important that we convene, we come together, we network, we share, we exchange, we uplift each other, because the work that we do, it’s great.”

The launch marks a significant milestone for the Pasifika youth development sector.

Pou Pasifika's national manager Chillion Saneviri. Photo/LinkedIn.

Sanerivi acknowledges the contributions of previous generations of youth workers, whose efforts laid the foundation for this initiative.

“We stand on the shoulders of many giants who’ve been working in our communities.”

The launch event is expected to bring together 200 youth workers and practitioners from across Aotearoa, primarily from Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

The initiative is supported by Ara Taiohi and Ola le Ola Aotearoa Trust in Auckland.