Island Breeze
Crafts, Culture and Connecting
Maliu mai! Lako mai! Fai mai!
Island Breeze is a community programme bringing Pasifika families together for a time of fellowship, creativity, and cultural celebration. Our weekly sessions are filled with traditional crafting, singing, and storytelling, and offer a space to connect, share, and uplift one another.
In addition to our local Island Breeze sessions that run every Tuesday at Knox Hall, Island Breeze also runs every third Thursday of the month in Ashburton at the Ashburton Art Gallery.
These special sessions are child-friendly and provide a fantastic opportunity for our Pasifika families in Hakatere to celebrate their heritage and strengthen community ties.
Whether you're looking to learn traditional crafts, enjoy good company, or simply reconnect with your roots, Island Breeze is the perfect place to feel at home.
Meet the team
Keetia Iosefa
As a staunch Kiribati woman with family roots to the Island of Nikunua, Keetia proudly supports the Kiribati Federation Aotearoa, a national body that enhances the well-being of Kiribati families in New Zealand. Keetia also keeps busy by being actively involved in the Tuvaluan Congregational Christian Church as its treasurer.
Vaili'a Afoa
Vaili'a is one of our Community Health Support Workers. In this role, Vaili'a helps clients with their health and social service appointments, this might include translating for our Samoan clients and providing transport to GP, hospital, dentist and WINZ appointments. She says, “I'm passionate about the health of our community and I look forward to helping our matua each day."
