Moana Vā – Navigators of Pacific Pride – towards engaging and building the Pacific Rainbow+ community in Otautahi Christchurch, is one of 15 organisations that will receive funding to advance their work with Rainbow young people and communities, as part of the Government’s Rainbow mental wellbeing investment.
Health Minister Andrew Little made the announcement at the International Initiative for Mental Health Leaders conference in Christchurch yesterday. The funding is from the second tranche of Rule Foundation grants, from the Government’s $4.6 million Rainbow mental wellbeing package.
Minister Little says, “The Rule Foundation has approved grants to 15 initiatives to help people including Māori/takatāpui and Pacific peoples; Indian, ethnic and Asian communities; transgender/non-binary and intersex people.”
The Rainbow Wellbeing Legacy Fund was launched in 2019 to support projects, activities and organisations to improve mental health for future generations of Rainbow communities, with a focus on young people.
Moana Vā was established to identify and address the needs for Pacific Rainbow+ LGBTQIA+ MVPFAFF+ (mahu, vakasalewa, palopa, fa’afafine, akava’ine, fakaleiti (leiti), fakafifine) communities in the Canterbury Region.
