Number 8 Prison Project

06/06/2026

Yesterday we hosted our first Community Justice Roundtable, bringing together leaders, practitioners and community voices committed to finding real solutions to the challenges facing our communities.

What began as a conversation about youth justice has evolved into a broader discussion about Community Justice, recognising that issues such as youth offending, family violence, social cohesion, housing, education, employment, mental health and incarceration are deeply connected and cannot be addressed in isolation.

A heartfelt thank you to the leaders who gave their time, wisdom and lived experience to this important discussion: Mel Malu, Joe Tau, Ray Savaiinaea, Gen Hunuki, Rebecca Rokobatini, Dane Samuels and Lyric Thomas.

Special thanks also to our facilitators Bernadette Samuels and Trey Thomas for guiding the conversation, and to our Chair Mesepa Paul for her leadership throughout the day.

The strength of our communities has always been our people. Yesterday was not about identifying problems. It was about identifying solutions, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that our communities help shape the policies and decisions that affect them.

This is only the beginning. The work continues.
N8PP

30/05/2026

📍Matavai Pacific Cultural Arts Centre, Wednesday 3rd June 2026.

🚨 COMMUNITY CONVERSATION- TALANOA | KŌRERO | TOK STORI | YARN 🚨

How do we keep our young people safe?
How do we recognise when they are struggling?
How do we strengthen the village around them as they navigate the pressures and influences facing youth today?

We invite parents, caregivers, mentors, youth workers, and community members to come together for an open and honest conversation/ talanoa focused on supporting and protecting our young people.

A night of listening, talking, learning, supporting one another, and strengthening our village ❤️
📅 Wednesday 3 June
🕡 6:30pm
📍 Lurnea Hub, 66 Hill Road

For more info and to register Link in bio.

Our hearts, thoughts and prayers going out to our young people and families in our community who are navigating grief and going through hardships at this time🙏🏾😔

07/05/2026

Kicking off our Talanoa Sessions this month with Kali.

This ones for the mums with kids inside, ladies with partners inside, sisters supporting siblings or parents inside, or going though the court system. This is your safe space.

We were designed for community, so don't do it alone.

Join us Wednesday evening 7.30pm on Zoom.

Rego form:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=iRGWwYjeWkGqJamojQm7wCuegV0ZOdlCszbbCbk8pSZUNjBGNlNaSFRNOVQyNEhPNzVTMTA4OE9PMy4u

30/04/2026

Team Building: Kali's POV 😜

Strong teams don’t just happen, they’re built with intention and integrity.

Our team recently came together at the Australian Museum for a team building session grounded in culture, reflection, and connection.

We all carry heavy loads - professionally and personally, so having a strong team around us isn’t optional, it’s necessary. Not just in our practice, but in our relationships too.

We took time to reconnect with our why, what grounds us, and how we support each other along the way.

Thanks again to our family at the Australian Museum for always championing our work - Ko Rabwa n Rabwa!

The Rat and the Octopus - THE END! 🤣

27/04/2026

Staff Training | Intentional Facilitator

Grateful to have our good friend Deacon To'o from Southseas Communities lead our Frontline Workers Workshop.

We focused on being intentional in how we show up, serve, and facilitate. This training was more than knowledge. It was about equipping our staff and volunteers with the right tools, knowing how to serve in our roles community sevice, refreshing what we already carry, and continuing to upskill so we can better support our people and communities.

Community organisations, churches and leadership groups should definitely do this!

15/04/2026

Last week we were invited to make a formal submission to the Senate Committee Inquiry on Youth Justice in New South Wales.

In our submission, we spoke to the realities our communities face. The over-policing, racial profiling, and the harsher sentencing outcomes experienced by Pasifika young people. These are not isolated experiences, they are patterns we continue to witness across families and generations.

We also made a clear call to action. The need for accurate and meaningful data collection that reflects who our people truly are. Increased and equitable funding for Pasifika community-led programs. And a shift away from systems that continue to prioritise large organisations, while overlooking grassroots organisations already doing the work on the ground.

It is time to move away from outdated stereotypes. Our communities are not lacking. We have the knowledge, the leadership, and the capacity to support our own people.

Our submission calls for a system that recognises identity, culture, and connection as central to healing and prevention.

For Pasifika people, justice cannot be separated from family, culture, and belonging. When we invest in these spaces, we don’t just reduce harm, we restore futures.

We honour the voices of the families and young people who trusted us to carry their stories into these spaces.

02/04/2026

We were dead because of our sins and because our sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15

30/03/2026

Join us for an Autism Awareness & Acceptance Info Session 🤍

In collaboration with Kokua Support Services and Moana Minds, we’re creating a safe and supportive space for parents, caregivers, and families raising children with additional needs.

🗓 8th April
⏰ 6pm – 8:30pm

Come along to connect, ask questions, and hear from experienced professionals and other families walking a similar journey.

Learn how to best support your child and where you can find support for yourself too.

Seats are limited.

Register via the link below https://forms.office.com/r/WGbViJvvWC

23/01/2026

Last week we held our very first Mana Tapulaga Youth program of 2026 ✨

A huge thank you to the Elijah and the Pasifika Team at the Australian Museum, Zef and Pastor Albert at Christ Mission Possible, Poland, Andrew and the Team at IQ Academy for hosting us and opening your spaces. Thank you for allowing our young people to experience your programs, businesses and gifts.

Faith, culture and health are key to building strong foundations of excellence for our young people. Your generosity speaks volumes.

Thank you also to She Is Not Your Rehab for gifting our youth a copy of This is Not Yours to Carry.

We truly cannot do this without our village. Your investment is literally changing lives.

Malo vakalevu, malo lava, malo aupito, ngā mihi 🤍

#2026

14/01/2026

This Saturday 17th January 2026 - Details on flyer.

Ni sa bula vinaka / Pacific Greetings,

As our community is grieving the senseless loss of Anaseini Nai Waqavuki and Epineri Naitini, and we stand in solidarity with their families, friends and church.

We acknowledge our collective responsibility to unite, honour their lives and ensure that their deaths are not in vain.

This is a "Call to Action" to come together,
BE the change we want to see and make our voices heard. Together, we are stronger, and
every voice counts.

✨️ Come expecting to be part of a thoughtful Community talanoa, bringing light into the dark.

📌 Entry to the building will be through Campbell Road, with parking available in the council car park on Campbell Street, Wilson Car park on Campbell Street, and across the road at the top of the Kmart car park.

📣 Please NO Island time
FREE Event

Enquiries: [email protected]
or 0426 089 755

Malo vakalevu