Hato Hone St John Introduces Samoan Language To Caring Caller Programme
Emotional support is now just a friendly 'Talofa' away for the Samoan community in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This Samoa Language Week, Hato Hone St John is announcing the introduction of Samoan language to their popular Community Health programme: Caring Caller, with new volunteer callers fluent in Samoan joining the team.
The St John Caring Caller programme is a volunteer-based telephone friendship service that offers companionship to those in need. This free service facilitates meaningful, regular connections that strengthen social bonds and enhance mental and emotional wellbeing. Clients who engage with a Caring Caller benefit from having someone to talk to, fostering resilience against the effects of loneliness and social isolation.
Eleni Mason, Hato Hone St John Community Engagement Manager, sees Caring Caller as an essential service to the Samoan community and the wider Pacific communities in general, saying 'many of our elderly community members are left alone at home while their family members go to work or to school. Some may have recently moved from Samoa to New Zealand and are having to adapt to new social norms. This sustained experience of loneliness can have detrimental effects on their health and overall well-being.'
With ASB as the official sponsor, the programme has been able to grow and diversify to meet the needs of different communities throughout the country. To date, the Caring Caller service is offered in English, Chinese dialects, Hindi, and now, Samoan.
ASB General Manager, Helen Fitzsimons, says, 'ASB is honoured to have partnered with Hato Hone St John since 2008. Through our work with Caring Caller, we've seen how the power of social connection helps to build mental wellbeing. This Samoa Language Week, we are proud to support the launch of the Samoan Caring Caller programme and the positive impact it will bring to the Samoan community.'
In support of this announcement, senior members of the Samoan community have fittingly adopted the name 'Gaualofa' for Caring Caller.
'Gaualofa translates to 'just love'. It is used widely in a popular Samoan phrase 'e leai se gaumata'u, ae na o le gaualofa', which means 'there is no anger, just love'. It is a truly appropriate and fitting name for the Caring Caller service due to the positive impact it has on all those involved,' says Eleni.
It is important to note that Caring Caller doesn't just benefit the client. The programme has a high volunteer retention rate, with Hato Hone St John callers finding their role within the service personally rewarding.
'I am a passionate supporter of Gaualofa, as part of the project team and having personally moved from Samoa to New Zealand myself, which was a challenging time, for my social wellbeing particularly. I am committed to promoting the inclusion of Pacific people in this Hato Hone St John programme and we are actively looking for both clients and callers from within the Samoan community to reach out,' says Eleni.
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