During the COVID-19 lockdown, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples’ (MPP) priority is to keep Pacific communities in New Zealand safe, aware, educated and informed.
Over the next four weeks, MPP will be working with government agencies and its stakeholders to ensure Pacific communities have access to up-to-date information to keep them safe and to protect their wellbeing.
Last week, Minister for Social Development Hon Carmel Sepuloni announced a $27 million dollar package, effective immediately, which will be used to support social sector services and community groups to ensure they can continue to provide essential support to communities during the lockdown.
This is particularly relevant for Pacific social sector organisations providing essential services, and to social service providers supporting Pacific communities.
Up to $16 million will be distributed to bolster existing essential social sector services delivered by NGOs so they can continue to support individuals, families, whānau and communities at risk through uncertain circumstances and respond to increased demand.
Another $6 million of funding will be available for disability community participation providers to put in place appropriate health mitigations for the current group orientated services and provide support for disabled people in lockdown; while up to $4.8 million will be provided for community grants or fund innovative community-led solutions to support local resilience.
Provider Engagement
Over the next few days the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) will be making contact initially with those listed on the MSD list of social sector organisations providing essential services HERE to talk through what support is needed to support our Pacific communities.
Grant Fund
As part of the Government’s response to COVID-19, new funding is being prioritised to support community efforts on the ground.
This funding will allow them to continue to support their communities and help them through challenges they may face in the coming months. To find out more about the grant visit HERE.
Personal Protective Equipment
If you are on the MSD list of social sector organisations providing essential services, you will be sent an email requesting information from you what Personal Protective Equipment you may need.
We have been advised the equipment could be available early next week, but in the meantime please remember to keep safe and practise the guidelines published by the Ministry of Health HERE.
Meanwhile, a reminder MPP has COVID-19 resources you can use that have been translated into Pacific languages HERE.
On the MPP Facebook page, we have published videos with key COVID-19 messages for the community, in the languages of Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Cook Islands, Tokelau, Rotuma, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Niue.
For those who do not use Facebook, the videos can be accessed on our YouTube channel.
All the information you need to know about the Government’s COVID-19 alert system and what it means, staying safe and general wellbeing, financial assistance and business support can be found on the Unite against COVID-19 website.