vaioleti lui - Systems strategist
Vaioleti is a proud daughter of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa was born and raised in Te Awa Kairangi. Her whakapapa goes back to Tokelau, Tonga with a dash of Portuguese. Vaioleti brings 20 years of experience in the public service and will be connecting and working alongside community, iwi, hapori Māori, Pasifika, sector stakeholders and organisations to open up doors and opportunities to advance the HFHV kaupapa in Te Awa Kairangi and Aotearoa.
Inheriting the legacy of 50 years community service from her parents, Vaioleti has been involved with various Pasifika, Tokelau and Tongan church, village, community projects and initiatives in the Hutt Valley and across Aotearoa over the last 20 years - her most impactful heart engagements have involved intergenerational heritage and digital projects with young people.
Nukunonu | Lapaha
GET TO KNOW VAIOLETI
What do you like to do in your free time?
Spending quality time with family, including our new furbaby Koba.
What song do you like to blast in the car?
A fusion of old school and new school jams – from Luther Vandross, Josh Tatofi to a bit of Five Star or CardiB.
What as an interesting fact about you?
In 2003, I travelled from Samoa to Tokelau on the HMNZS Royal Navy warship Te Kaha for the signing of the Principles of Partnership between New Zealand and Tokelau.
What is your favourite book and why?
I have always been an avid reader and collector of Pasifika books, two of my most treasured books are 2004 Songs and Poems of Queen Sālote translated by Melenaite Taumoefolau and 2022 Tokelau Toku Tupuaga Fakapele: Tokelau My Treasured Heritage by 12 authors from our Tokelau Petone community.
Who inspires you and why?
My inspiration hails from my Tongan Grandmother Vaioleti and Tokelau Grandpa Lui Kanava, they are the embodiment of dignity and honour in serving their families and villages. Being blessed with their names is an ancestral representation and duty to honour their legacy.
