5:40:55 Friday 22 August 2025

Caring Caller expands with Samoan-language option

Community Engagement Manager Eleni Mason said many elderly Pacific people spend large parts of the day alone while their families work or attend school.

Emotional support is now only a “Talofa” away for members of the Samoan community, with Hato Hone St John expanding its Caring Caller programme to include the Samoan language.

The volunteer-run telephone service offers regular calls to people experiencing isolation, creating meaningful friendships and helping improve mental wellbeing.

This week, to mark Samoa Language Week, Hato Hone St John introduced fluent Samoan-speaking volunteers to the service.

Community Engagement Manager Eleni Mason said many elderly Pacific people spend large parts of the day alone while their families work or attend school.

“Some may have recently moved from Samoa and are adapting to a new environment,” Mason said. “Loneliness in these situations has serious effects on health and wellbeing.”

Mason, who moved from Samoa herself, said she understood how difficult the adjustment could be and wanted to see more Pacific people included in community programmes like Caring Caller.

“I am a passionate supporter of Gaualofa, both personally and professionally,” Mason said. “We are actively looking for Samoan-speaking clients and volunteers to take part.”

Senior Samoan community members selected “Gaualofa” as a name for the programme’s Samoan language offering.

“Gaualofa means ‘just love’. It is part of the saying ‘e leai se gaumata’u, ae na o le gaualofa’ – there is no anger, just love,” Mason said. “It reflects what the programme is all about.”

ASB, which has partnered with Hato Hone St John since 2008, has supported the expansion of Caring Caller into different languages and communities.

ASB General Manager Helen Fitzsimons said the programme’s impact on mental wellbeing had been clear.

“Through our work with Caring Caller, we’ve seen the power of social connection,” Fitzsimons said. “We are proud to support the launch of the Samoan version this Samoa Language Week.”

Caring Caller is also offered in English, Hindi, and various Chinese dialects.

The programme has high retention among volunteers, who report that the relationships they build with clients are often personally fulfilling.

Mason said she hoped the introduction of the Samoan language would encourage more people from the Pacific community to get involved.

“Caring Caller is not just a service — it’s a friendship built on trust, understanding, and now, a shared language,” Mason said.

 

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