First time at Polyfest is a great success for the Pūtahi Manawa outreach team

Pūtahi Manawa aiga attended and contributed to our very first Polyfest event with awesome support from our University of Auckland based Pasifika talavou faiaoga (students) as well as guidance from Pacific Leadership team chair - Soteria Ieremia.

It's the largest Māori and Pacific Polynesian festival in the world, showcasing performances across the Māori, Sāmoa, Tonga, Cook Island, Niue, Maori and Diversity stages for four days at the Manukau Sports Bowl. 

More than 70 high schools around the motu competed at the highly popular ASB Polyfest with over at least 100,000 visitors joining in the colourful culture of our pacific people and sampling and array of Pasifika cuisine. 

The Pūtahi Manawa site engaged hundreds of students, parents and teachers through interactive hands-on science activities, ranging from heart models to exercise bikes and a heart pumping blood simulation game to expand horizons for Pacific youth in health science and research pathways.

As clearly visible from the photos- the rōpū had a great time engaging with students and the wider community impressing the importance of heart heath equity for Maori and Pacific peoples.