NZ university pleased with Pasifika leadership graduates

Transcript

Wellington's Victoria University has commended four Pasifika students for being among the first from the region to graduate from its international leadership programme.

Chelcia Gomese, Sonny Togiatama, Anderias Tani and Higano Perez who collectively represent Solomon Islands, Niue, Timor-Leste, and Tokelau are the first cohort of Pasifika students to complete the programme since its inception in 2008.

Koroi Hawkins has more

The manager of the international leadership programme attributes the historically low representation of Pasifika students on the course to the high number of additional commitments they face. But Amber Walters says four completing the program this year is an encouraging sign.

AMBER WALTERS: It is good to see a number of them complete not just one individual superstar like we often highlight our superstars in the Pacific communities that have done great things but it is usually often one. And this is was my real emphasis for this cohort that all four of them did it. So if all four of them did it. So if all four of them can do it then anybody can do it really.

One of the graduates is Chelcia Gomese from Solomon Islands. She says she aims to use her skills to help further education opportunities for young people in her village, starting with the construction of a community library.

CHELCIA GOMES: Before coming to do VILP I have started my own non profit organisation. It is to help young women as well as young children in the community get an education and also learn about environmental impacts. And that was one of the main focus I am planning to work on when I leave to go back to the Solomon Islands and to continue doing that.

Another graduate Higano Perez, a Tokelauan New Zealander, says cross cultural activities in the program have given him a better understanding and appreciation for grassroots thinking and working with people from different backgrounds.

HIGANO PEREZ: And through those things as well I have picked up a few roles. Once a week I am a driver for Kaibosh which is a food charity in downtown Wellington which picks up food and organises it sorts it and delivers it to places like the night shelter for people who are having a bit of a hard time. And also with Red Cross refugee services where I was a volunteer and I helped resettle a Colombian family in Wellington when they first arrived here.

Individual benefits aside Amber Walters says having more Pasifika students engaging in such programs would be beneficial for the region and for New Zealand society as a whole.

AMBER WALTERS: People who have got knowledge or a real passion for the Pacific are talking about it including big donor organisations. Yet there are not many Pacific people that are at that table and their voice needs to be heard as well. But if they are not participating in programmes like this and learning and listening to what other people are saying about their region or even Pasifika New Zealand. How can they really contribute to that discussion?

Since it began in 2008, over 350 students have graduated from Victoria's International Leadership Programme. Prior to this year only one other student had ever identified as being Pasifika.