When the option to work at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) arose, TupuToa intern Aleisha Funaki (pictured) jumped at the chance to work at the agency which champions her community.
Of Samoan, Tongan and Tokelauan descent, the 19-year-old Aleisha has recently completed her second year studying a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Computer Science and minoring in Information Science and Software Engineering at the University of Otago.
After receiving an email, Aleisha decided to pursue an internship with TupuToa, which helps to create employment pathways for Māori and Pacific tertiary students in corporate, government and community organisations.
By securing 12-week paid-internships for tertiary students with TupuToa’s partner organisations, such as MPP, the goal is for the internship to convert into fulltime employment once the students have graduated.
“We explored multiple options but when the option to work for MPP came about it was really a no brainer,” says Aleisha, who has been placed with the IT Support team at MPP.
“Using the knowledge from my degree to help a ministry that helps our people was an easy choice to make - TupuToa arranged an interview with MPP and here I am.”
Aleisha is also a Tuli Takes Flight Scholarship, an initiative funded by the Ministry of Education and announced following the Government’s Dawn Raids Apology in 2021 as part of the gesture of goodwill and reconciliation to Aotearoa Pacific communities.
“So, I am truly humbled to work for a ministry that has already helped me so much in my career,” she says.
Taking nothing for granted, Aleisha hopes to make the most of the opportunity in front of her.
“I hope to gain a richer understanding of the different perspectives our Pacific community carry, through engagement while I am at MPP.
“With this I hope to aid our community wherever I can as I believe decisive action towards helping a community is strengthened when you meaningfully engage with the people affected - and I am sure I can do that through MPP.”
As for her future aspirations, Aleisha says trying to increase Pacific representation in the tech space is on her radar.
“The tech space is good as it hones some of our best qualities such as problem-solving and creativity.
“I hope to positively impact Pacific Aotearoa by helping where I can, whatever that may look like.”
Aleisha has already started to work towards this goal, using her knowledge to advocate and create initiatives for our people, approaching them through the lens of a Pacific woman involved in technology, and supported by Pacific peers who provide other perspectives.
“For example, at university, I have been helping to create initiatives to uplift our Pacific students, like the recent mental health talanoa evening we hosted, where approximately 50 Pasifika students came together to catch up and talk about wellbeing.”
Aleisha is one of five interns joining MPP this summer from the TupuToa and Tupu Tai programmes.
Visit the TupuToa website to learn more about the internship programme.