(Picture caption: Donna Fasavalu, left, with Your Way Kia Roha's National Manager Service, April Johnson, and Dr Taima Fagaloa, the Strategic Advisor, Pacific Strategy.)
Overwhelmed by what life served her 10 years ago, Donna Fasavalu needed to stop work to cope and get by day to day.
Fast forward a decade later, and the Porirua-based solo mum of Samoan descent has bounced back to re-enter the workforce, more motivated than ever.
Her re-entry into the workforce has been buoyed by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ Tupu Aotearoa initiative and Wellington service provider Your Way Kia Roha – which offers information, support, and equipment to enable disabled people to thrive, living the lives they choose in their communities.
Life changed dramatically for Donna after being diagnosed with kidney failure and vision impairment, while her now teenage daughter was still very young.
Living with two disabilities, working full-time and being a sole parent became too much for her, Donna says.
“I gave up my full-time job so I could adjust to the new norm of dealing with kidney failure and vision impairment, as well as raising my daughter.
“After 10 years of being unemployed however, I decided to reach out to the Tupu Aotearoa programme as I’d had enough of staying at home.”
Donna joined the Tupu Aotearoa programme offered by disability provider Your Way Kia Roha, to support her aspirations of gaining tools and skills to enable her to thrive in studies, employment or training.
After completing the programme, Donna was offered one year’s employment as a Tupu Aotearoa navigator at Your Way Kia Roha, where she assisted others into training and or employment.
Donna is now employed full-time as an advisor with the Ministry of Social Development, as well as being part of the Wellington City Council Accessible Advisory Group and the newly established Oranga Tamariki National Disability Advisory Group.
“From a lived experience of disability, I really believe in this programme,” Donna says.
“The Ministry for Pacific Peoples have got it right by funding a Tupu Aotearoa disability-focused programme, because at the same time we are growing their knowledge and the Pacific community’s knowledge about lived experience of Pacific people with disabilities.”
If you want to learn more about Tupu Aotearoa visit the MPP website or the Your Way Kia Roha for details about the service provider.