Pacific Advisory group

Tiumalu Maria Goretti Sialava’a, Acting Chair

Tiumalu Maria Goretti Sialava’a is a Samoan-born New Zealander with ancestral ties to the villages of Siumu, Lepa, Saleaumua, and Lotofaga. Honoured with the chiefly matai title from Siumu, she proudly carries the name Tiumalu.

Tiumalu has been associated with Mary Potter Hospice in many capacities, including serving as the Executive Assistant to the CEO, Secretary to the Board, and the first Pasifika Liaison for Palliative Services. She now serves as a member of the Mary Potter Hospice’s Pacific Advisory Group.
In addition to her work with the Hospice, Tiumalu is the director of Vinepa Trust, a family trust that offers various community programmes. She is also an active member of the Kilbirnie Salvation Army leadership group.
As a consumer, professional and advisor for palliative services, Tiumalu supports and offers her skills and experience proudly as a Pacific person.

Anthony Carter

Anthony is Project Manager at Central Pacific Collective. He is responsible for the management, coordination and relationships relating to specific projects and contracts that contribute to the Collectives strategic plan and outcomes.

Anthony is married with three children and a grandfather to three.
Anthony is Tuvaluan, Kiribati and Samoan decent.

Freda Siaosi

My name is Freda Siaosi, and I serve as the Pacific Liaison for Mary Potter Hospice, a role I have dedicated myself to since 2021. Born in New Zealand with Samoan heritage from the villages of Vaisala, Iva, and Vaiala. Samoan is my first language, with proficiency in Tokelauan and an understanding of the Cook Island language.

My passion lies in supporting Pacific peoples, whether within the church or broader community settings. It is a privileged to contribute to Palliative Care at Mary Potter Hospice, ensuring cultural safety for families and colleagues alike. My responsibilities include bridging language and cultural gaps, translating essential information, and integrating cultural and spiritual values into palliative care practices.

Looking ahead, I’m committed to continuous learning and reflective practice in Palliative Care, striving to enhance cultural safety for Pacific peoples. I am committed to exploring innovative ways to support families and colleagues, ensuring the best possible care for Pacific peoples in their end-of-life journeys.

Emily Toimata-Holtham

My name is Emily Toimata, and I am proud to represent the Pacific community in various health and wellbeing initiatives. I hail from Niue and Kiribati and currently lead the clinical nurse team for Ora Toa Community Outreach Services, focusing on health promotion and Mana Wahine support to screening cervical & breast screening.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of contributing to several Pacific advisory groups, including working with Plunket to develop their Pacific strategy, Asthma NZ to create resources tailored to Pacific communities, and Pacific national campaign supporting cervical and breast screening programs through the creation of Pacific-specific resources. I have also been involved in promoting the uptake of the new HPV self-test initiative within our Pacific communities.

One of my proudest roles was serving as the Chairperson for Strong Pacific Families Porirua. This campaign worked to strengthen family relationships through a strengths-based approach, with a particular focus on reducing the risk of family violence.
I am passionate about advocating for Pacific voices in health and wellbeing, ensuring that our communities receive the support, education, and services they need to thrive.

Fakaaue lahi

Michael Rongo

Michael Rongo is of Kuki Airani and Pākehā descent and was born and raised in Dunedin. While he enjoyed a positive upbringing, his experiences reflected challenges that many whānau continue to face today. From a young age, Michael developed a strong commitment to addressing health and social disparities.

He is currently the Director of Health Services at Ora Toa PHO. Prior to joining Ora Toa, Michael spent 18 years working with Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), where he gained deep insight into the intersections of health, wellbeing, and social equity. Shaped by his upbringing and professional experience across both Corrections and Health, Michael is passionate about improving access and creating equitable solutions for the community.

Ngaire Lerwill

My name is Ngaire Lerwill (née Anesone Te’o). I was born in Wellington, raised in Samoa, in the villages of Mulinu’u and Alafua, and returned to Wellington in the late 1980’s to continue my education. I have ancestral ties to the villages of Safa’ato’a Lefaga, Faleasi’u, Avao and Lefagaoali’i Safune.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Pasefika families and communities through programmes such as Oranga Tamariki Family Start and Te Whatu Ora CAMHS, focusing on building strong relationships, improving access to services, education and supporting mental health and wellbeing. I also helped project lead a qualitative research study at Massey University Centre for Public Health Research (formerly RCHH) and co-authored a paper on a co-design program using a Pacific family-based approach to address pre-diabetes risk among Pacific children, New Zealand.

Now, as a Senior Cancer Prevention Advisor at Cancer Society NZ Wellington, I’m passionate about working with communities, health services, and local leaders to create healthier environments, reduce the risks of getting cancer and champion equitable health outcomes for all – particularly Māori, Pacific peoples and other vulnerable groups.