Steadying the Vaka

In the past, our ancestors were seafaring warriors.

They sailed across the ocean with mighty canoes, navigating through treacherous waters and uncertain weather – weather that could sink them in seconds if they didn’t know how to steady themselves.

These canoes were known as Vaka.

And even though we no longer use them to cross the seas, our crew is still working together like the warriors they are – strengthening our systems, protecting our community and remaining transparent in the most challenging conditions.

It’s what our 2025 Annual Report was all about.

A report that (under the theme of “Recognising Clarity in Reporting in Uncertain Times”) just received a Bronze Award at the highly prestigious Australasian Reporting Awards in Sydney.

This was a massive honour for The Fono.

Our crew has been working all year long to remain accountable for our Pasifika communities, and (even though we didn’t do it for an award) we are so proud to be recognised for that important mahi.

It goes a long way to demonstrate how impactful we are as a team.

Because (just like sailing a Vaka) winning an award like this takes a whole lot more than just one person. It takes every member of every service in our organisation, working to adapt, improve and keep our vessel moving forward.

Whether it’s the Corporate Services team (who told our stories and broadened our impact), the Clinical, Educational and Outreach teams (who kept us connected to the Pasifika community) or our fearless leaders like Jennifer Tupou (who guided us through the rockiest of waves and formally accepted the award in Australia).

We may not have travelled the seas together.

But through our lifelong commitment to transparency, excellence and honouring our cultural identity, our Vaka is making more waves than ever before.

And at the end of the day, that’s one of the biggest reasons we wrote the Annual Report – not just to demonstrate how effective we are in accomplishing our strategies, but to show the impact of our work on the communities we serve.

So, thank you to the ARA for this great honour and thank you to every member of The Fono for working together as a team, staying strong in the most uncertain times, and (like our ancestors before us) steadying the Vaka.

Malo 'aupito, Fa'afetai lava, Vinaka vakalevu!

Read our 2025 Annual Report titled 'Steadying the Vaka' HERE.