General Manager and founder of the Pasifika O Wairarapa Trust, Luther Tola was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal, in June 2022, for services to the Pacific community. Luther was one of 187 New Zealanders Queen’s Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours, for his decades of work.
Luther has worked in the Wairarapa Pasifika community for decades but it was during the 2019 Covid response and subsequent lockdowns that Luther set up the Trust to address the social disparities and lack of social service support available for Pasifika families living and working in the Wairarapa.
He initially identified an urgent need within the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers who were impacted by the sudden loss of income, accommodation and border closures due to the 2019 Level 4 Lockdown. Most of these workers are from Pasifika countries and the border closures prevented them from returning home.
Luther coordinated a small group from the Pasifika community to assist in supporting the RSE workers which has now expanded to other Pasifika families in need. This work involved coordinating food parcels, resources, and avenues of familial and cultural community support.
Through this work, Luther identified the need to establish a dedicated Pasifika support network and the Pasifika o Wairarapa Trust was established to provide ongoing support to those marginalised families and migrant workers and strengthen the bonds between the settled Pasifika families and those new, immigrating and temporary workers.
During the Covid restrictions, Luther has ensured that support has been provided to 165 Pasifika community members including 58 food parcels, firewood, petrol vouchers and access to advice and support on immigration, health, education, and employment matters.
He also facilitated a number of Pasifika Fono to assist the District Health Board with communicating and addressing misinformation about Covid and alleviating vaccination fears. He ensured that health leaders visited the Wairarapa and talked directly to the community. This facilitation of face-to-face engagement with the Pasifika community has been instrumental in assisting with the region’s high Pasifika vaccination rates.
During this time, he led the operations of the group while the Trust and the Board were formally established in 2021. During this time Luther worked in a voluntary capacity and as well as working with the community, he also drafted and submitted the strategic plans and policies, and sought the funding required to operationalise the support services.
Not only does the Trust provide family support, but it is also mandated to provide support for immigration, health, education, employment, legal, and Visa issues for migrant workers and their families.
Luther’s determination and drive has established collaborative partnerships with Government and non-government organisations that will have enduring consequences for the health and wellbeing of our Pasifika communities.
Luther is an exceptionally understated man who does not seek to enhance his own mana but rather empowers and enables the Pasifika communities he serves to break down the social disparities our communities face and thrive as part of the wider Wairarapa community.
His tenacity has ensured that the Pasifika community now have social support services that will enhance the holistic well-being of Pasifika peoples living or working in the Wairarapa.
We congratulate Luther on this award.
