18/09/2026
🌸GET TO KNOW THE FACES BEHIND PETANI🌸
Meet our president Heimoana Langi the founder of PETANI COMMUNITY.
PETANI
Faith • Family • Respect • Safety • Advocacy • Service
Petani was established with a clear purpose: to empower our Tongan and Pacific Islander communities by bridging the gap between our people and the services they need.
As someone who came to Australia as part of an immigrant family, I understand many of the challenges that come with settling in a new country. I witnessed the difficulties my parents experienced with language, unfamiliar systems and accessing services. Later, as a social worker, I saw these same barriers affecting many others in our community. These experiences shaped my passion for creating a service where our people could be understood, respected, supported and heard.
Too often, our people were missing out on vital services because they did not understand their rights, did not know where to seek help, or found mainstream systems difficult to navigate. Language and cultural barriers could leave people feeling overwhelmed, unheard or reluctant to ask for support.
Petani exists to change that. We walk alongside people, provide culturally responsive support, advocate for their rights, connect them with the services they need and help them build the confidence to navigate systems for themselves. Our aim is not simply to provide a service, but to create greater access, understanding, dignity and opportunity for our community.
Faith is at the heart of Petani. Petani is the Tongan name for Bethany, a place mentioned in the Bible. Our church minister chose the name, describing Bethany as a place of family a place where God loves to be and a family that God loves. This reflects our vision of Petani as a welcoming family where people feel safe, valued, respected and cared for.
Creating safe and culturally respectful spaces is especially important for our women and young people. We want them to feel comfortable participating, speaking openly, building connections and knowing that their voices matter. We want Petani to be a place where people can seek support without shame or judgement and feel a genuine sense of belonging.
Through community programs, advocacy, welfare support, service connections and therapeutic support, our impact is measured by the difference we make in people's lives someone accessing a service they previously could not reach, understanding their rights, finding their confidence, feeling heard, or simply knowing they are not alone.
For me, the greatest reward is seeing our people empowered rather than excluded, informed rather than uncertain, and supported rather than alone.
Petani also creates opportunities for people to give back. For volunteers, it is a chance to serve their community, stand for social justice and human rights, and be part of a team driven by compassion and faith.
Petani is faith in action empowering our people, strengthening our community, creating safe spaces and ensuring that every person has the opportunity to be heard, respected and connected to the support they deserve.
About Moana Langi
Moana Langi is a qualified Social Worker, therapeutic counsellor and founder of Oceania Social Work & Tongan Consultancy . She brings extensive professional, cultural and community experience supporting individuals, families and Pacific communities.
Professional Background
Qualified Social Worker with a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Newcastle.
Current member of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
Founder and owner of Oceania Social Work and Tongan Consultancy, providing culturally responsive social work and therapeutic services.
Extensive experience in:
Therapeutic counselling
Mental health and emotional wellbeing
Su***de ideation and crisis intervention
Trauma-informed practice
Domestic and family violence
Grief and loss
Child and family services
Case management and advocacy
Risk assessment and safety planning
Multidisciplinary collaboration
Pacific Community & Cultural Experience
Provided bilingual wellbeing, trauma and counselling support to Tongan, Samoan, Fijian and East Timorese seasonal workers who came to Australia through the agricultural and farm Seasonal Worker Program.
Provided counselling and culturally responsive community support to Tongan and other Pacific Islander communities through Petani Community Services.
Tongan health interpreter with Hunter Area Health for over 15 years, supporting Tongan-speaking patients and families within healthcare settings.
Western Sydney Health interpreter for 3 years, supporting culturally and linguistically diverse patients and families.
Current Professional Services
Through Oceania Social Work and Tongan Consultancy, Moana currently provides:
Therapeutic counselling and social work support
NDIS Therapeutic Support
NDIS Therapeutic Living Skills Support
Trauma-informed and culturally responsive support
Support for mental health, grief, loss and emotional wellbeing
Support for individuals and families experiencing complex social circumstances
Social work home assessments and suitability reports for families undertaking adoption processes involving children from Tonga
Community Leadership & Advocacy
Board Member – Hunter Pacifica Community Initiative, contributing to Pacific community wellbeing, development and support.
Petani Community Services, supporting Tongan and Pacific Islander individuals, families and communities.
Siasi Tonga Church Program Development Panel, contributing to programs supporting the Tongan community across Newcastle, Sydney and the Central Coast, with a vision for broader national reach.
Pacific Reference Group – OurDNA Program, contributing Pacific community and cultural perspectives to program development and engagement.
Moana's Approach
Moana is passionate about creating safe, respectful and culturally responsive spaces where people feel heard, supported and empowered. She brings together professional social work expertise, therapeutic counselling, Tongan language and cultural knowledge, and a strong commitment to strengthening the wellbeing, independence and resilience of individuals, families and Pacific communities.
Everyone once again the founder of Petani Community & Oceania Social Work & Tongan Consultancy Heimoana Langi
🌸Have a blessed & safe weekend to you all 🌸
