How do Pasifika families draw on their strengths, stories, and cultural knowledge to navigate cardiovascular disease and advocate for better heart health?
Heartstrings Heritage is a research project led by Mana Pacific Consultants, funded through the Le Alamea Pūtahi Manawa Fund. The project explores how Pasifika families navigate cardiovascular disease (CVD) through their unique family strengths, intergenerational stories, cultural knowledge, and advocacy practices.
Recognising that heart health for Pasifika is a collective, family-based experience, this project shifts the narrative from deficit-focused health research to one that uplifts stories of resilience, care, healing, and cultural wisdom. Through talanoa, digital storytelling, and community workshops, the project aims to elevate family-led solutions and contribute to more culturally grounded approaches in heart health services.
This research investigates:
- How Pasifika families use family resources, cultural knowledge, and community connections to navigate the health system.
- How intergenerational transmission of wisdom, lived experience, and advocacy practices supports heart health.
- What family-led strategies could inform better health outcomes and equity for Pasifika people.
- How digital stories can serve as powerful tools for health education, empathy building, and provider training.
The project is grounded in Pacific-Indigenous methodologies, with a focus on talanoa, digital storytelling, and participatory co-creation. Three core phases make up the project design:
- Phase 1: Talanoa with Pasifika Families
- Phase 2: Digital Story Creation
- Phase 3: Community & Health Provider Workshops
Insights and Impact
A summary of insights and impact will be added as the project progresses.
Status
Current
For information on this project, you can contact polu@manapacific.co.nz
