Pati Umaga set it up after fracturing his neck and discovering there was little support for disabled Pasefika people outside of Auckland.
“When I came out of the spinal unit, I ended up sitting around (in a wheelchair) twiddling my thumbs, wondering what to do. I had the option of indulging in self pity, or trying to be more active in community development,” says Pati.
He chose the latter.
With support from the PPDF, the Trust got off the ground, and the long term goal of a resource centre, with training programmes, education courses and a gymnasium for people with disabilities, became a reality.
Pati really appreciates the funding from the PPDF, but now the commitment is going to have to come from the five Trustees.
“We’ve got a good group of people. We want to make a solid foundation now, as the more solid the foundation, the better the springboard. Our mission is to provide a service for Pasefika disabled people, run by disabled people. We want to do it for ourselves.”
