As visitors to Kirikiriroa drive past the beautiful fale on Mill Street, they often ask, ‘What is that building?’ To which a seasoned local can proudly answer, ‘That is the K’aute Pasifika fale, part of K’aute Pasifika Village.’

For Collegian Leaupepe Rachel Drent (née Karalus) (Harington 1995), the K’aute Pasifika Village holds deep meaning. It is more than a set of buildings; it is a visible sign to the Pacific community that they have a place in the city and are valued by the broader community.

The Village is the first of its kind in New Zealand and is designed to replicate a community in the islands. It features the fale (a community meeting house) at the front, a workhouse of sorts behind it from which a range of wraparound services are delivered (including integrated primary care and clinical services), and an early learning centre for up to 85 children.

Completed in 2022, the Village fale marked a major milestone for Rachel, who was then Chief Executive Officer of K’aute Pasifika Trust. The project was the result of 25 years of advocacy and vision by the Trust. Soon after, the Early Learning Centre was completed in 2023 and the refurbishment of the Bowling Club, now the K’aute Pasifika Wellness Centre, was completed in 2024. 

Rachel says, “The project was aspirational. We had no site and no funding. People didn’t believe a small community could deliver what was aspired to.”

She described the struggle to secure funding and the roadblocks along the way. During the process of seeking approvals, a government official told Rachel the support requested “would not happen”. With faith, she responded, “Our team will head to the boardroom this afternoon and we will pray.” Just hours later, she received a call confirming an $8 million contribution from the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund. She says, “When you put God in the centre of the work, things happen that are incredible.” The project was also supported by local government, philanthropic organisations, mana whenua, business leaders and the broader community.

Throughout her time at K’aute, Rachel was outspoken about the importance of delivering services that reflected the needs and values of the communities they served. She emphasised the role of faith, resilience and collective strength in overcoming barriers.

Consultation and talanoa (open dialogue) with the community remained central to K’aute Pasifika’s approach. Under her leadership,and with the support of a capable team, K’aute Pasifika worked closely with families, elders and community leaders to ensure the Village reflected the aspirations of all Pacific peoples and became a shared space of belonging and celebration. She acknowledges the miracle of being able to establish a culturally anchored early learning space for pre-schoolers as part of the Village. 

Rachel expresses deep gratitude for all who have helped her on her journey. She received a scholarship from Bank of New Zealand to complete the Community & Enterprise Leadership Foundation (CELF) programme at the University of Waikato and, in 2020, she was the inaugural winner of the CELF Leader of the Year Award. The award has since been received by another Collegian, Brett Maber (Hall 1990-1994), in 2023.

Rachel has recently stepped away from the Trust and is assessing her next project. “I felt God calling me into something else.”

She recently returned to St Paul’s for a tour and shared fond memories of the year she spent at the school. Among them was history class with Mr Hamel, who told her not to hand in such a poor piece of work for her first assignment. “It was a fair comment, and I learned not to do that again,” she says. She also recalled the support of teachers Dr Etheredge, Mr Shaw and Mr Haylett-Petty. 

Rachel has kept in touch with many of the friends she made that year and is still mocked for a memorable speech she gave during a debate in the St Paul’s library, where she used the phrase, “the vortex of disillusionment”. 

She is also proud of the moment she decided to take up kayaking for sport, not the typical choice for the girls at the time. At a tournament, surrounded by boys, her only goal was to ‘stay in the boat’, and she came third.

Rachel’s year at St Paul’s may have been short, but it left a lasting impression,  and it’s clear she’s left one on our wider Kirikiriroa community.