One hundred and eleven Pasifika people have been awarded scholarships to study mental health and addiction in New
Zealand this year.
Le Va, an NGO, is the national centre for Pacific mental health and addiction workforce development with a focus on
improving outcomes for those with mental health and addiction needs. It gave out 72 scholarships in 2019.
This programme is funded by the Ministry of Health and reflects government health priorities for Pacific people.
The number of Pacific applicants vying for a scholarship has increased over the years. In total Le Va’s Futures that Work scholarships programme has funded 632 Pasifika students with their tertiary studies since it began in 2009. This year,
Le Va reached its highest number with awarding 111 scholarship recipients covering a range of study areas, from social
work, counselling and psychology to occupational therapy and indigenous knowledge.
Denise Kingi-Uluave, Le Va chief executive said while this year has been challenging for all, Pasifika communities are
particularly encouraged to see the fruits of their children’s academic and career journey.
“We have seen a cohort of bright and motivated applicants with huge potential to help our communities get the right
services and the right outcomes.”
The Futures that Work scholarships will be presented in Auckland today to coincide with the opening of 2021 scholarship
applications.