Pacific Northland Collective | Work-Ready Futures Tokotoko Solutions Leading from the Heart of Northland

Through Pasefika Proud support, Tokotoko Solutions and the other providers in the Pacific Northland Collective are equipping Pacific families in Northland with the tools, confidence and collective strength to build sustainable futures, starting with the whole household, not just the individual. 

“I kept dreaming of elders holding walking sticks. Different faces, same vision. The minute I said, 'we’ll call it Tokotoko,' the dreams stopped.”

For Tokotoko Solutions co-founder Isopo Samu, known in the community as Samu, the name came not from branding sessions or strategic workshops, but from repeated dreams. Night after night, he saw elders with walking sticks, until the name Tokotoko revealed itself and the dreams ceased. That name now anchors a movement of community transformation in the heart of Northland. 

“We associate the tokotoko with elders who have lived long enough to need the walking stick, and that is the goal.” 

Samu, who is Tokelauan and came to New Zealand by way of Samoa at the age of ten, has a professional background spanning education, the police, and working with the homeless. He founded Tokotoko Solutions in 2012 to serve Pacific families often overlooked by mainstream systems. The carved tokotoko at the centre of their identity, crafted decades ago by his Dutch father-in-law, carries layered meaning: wisdom, responsibility, the story of life. All values now embodied in the organisation’s kaupapa. 

While Tokotoko Solutions has been operating for over a decade, today it is one of three providers in the newly formed Pacific Northland Collective, alongside F45 Whangārei and Te Kamo High School. With the support of Pasefika Proud, this collective is trialling a new approach to supporting Pacific families aged 18–35, focusing on becoming work ready, improving wellbeing, and building pathways toward sustainable outcomes. 

Tokotoko Solutions brings the Work Ready Training Programme to the collective, offering more than just CV prep or interview coaching. “It’s all around our flagship programme, which is making sure that you are well, mentally, physically, spiritually,” said Lucy Samu. While the organisation also has education and community development arms, this programme is the backbone of their contribution. 

The model centres families, not individuals. While MSD criteria ask for beneficiaries over 18, Tokotoko sees greater impact when working with whole households. 

“It's easy to find the eight to ten families,” Lucy said. “It's limiting it down... to make sure we are supporting the ones most at risk.” Two of the ten families are considered “rolling” and may transition in or out as needed. 

Though still in its early stages, the programme builds on previous years of grassroots delivery. Lucy reflected on one early transformation: “We've brought families in before... Families are hearing the same things, they're seeing the changes, they're making changes themselves.” 

Samu shared a moment that revealed the unexpected ripple effects of the work: “[One] was going home happy, and [his wife] thought he was having an affair at the programme.” After joining him in a session, she discovered the real reason for the shift. “We said to her, 'Cool, you're here now, so join the group.'” That, Samu explained, is where the transformation begins. 

"Providing a safe space where we can actually open up the cupboards... who's in charge of your money and what are you doing with it? It's not your money. It's everybody's money,” says Samu. 

Pacific Northland Collective is committed to outcomes but not at the expense of authenticity. Samu was candid: “To be perfectly honest, we don't know how we're going to do it. The key to this is we are prepared to jump into the space and learn with our people.” 

While working with whole families creates complexities, different needs, different pacing, the providers are united in learning alongside those they serve. “We don’t hold the answers,” Samu said. “The families that come along, how do we empower them and get them to be the teachers in this?” 

Support from Pasefika Proud has helped shift the collective from informal collaboration to structured partnership. Lucy said, “Before we were doing this mahi because it's what needed to be done... It's given us an opportunity, backing, and elevation.” 

Samu added, “We do so much, but we don’t tell our stories. You guys bring a completely new sphere to our universe.” 

For the providers in the Collective, this partnership offers more than visibility. It is about building capacity, unlocking access to resources, and having an official platform to navigate and respond to systemic gaps.

Jeanette and Lucy also noted the value of better Pacific data representation in Northland, with an estimated 17,000 Pasifika people in the region. While not all are reflected in official statistics due to overlapping Māori and Pacific heritage, the need for tailored Pacific-led services remains strong. 

Tokotoko Solutions doesn’t aspire to grow big for the sake of scale. Instead, Samu sees the future in replication. “How do I help people in the far north and mid-north develop a model like what we are doing, so they can deliver to their communities?” 

The Pacific Northland Collective is just beginning its journey. Reporting and evaluation will come later in 2025, with plans to share a final story featuring one family’s full journey through the programme. 

But already, the kaupapa is clear: Pasifika for Pasifika, outcomes with integrity, and the belief that happy, connected households are the foundation for lasting change, as Samu states. 

“If you get a happy mum and dad, the household is rocking.” 

The Pacific Northland Collective is made up of Tokotoko Solutions, F45 Whangārei, and Te Kamo High School.

With support from Pasefika Proud, the Collective is trialling a new model of Pacific-led, outcomes-focused support for families in Northland, from work readiness and education to health and wellbeing.