Lōtima Vaioleti
Lotima is of Māori descent from the Iwi of Ngāti Porou, Te Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngai Te Rangi, Ngā Puhi and Tongan descent from the islands of Vava’u and Haʻapai.
He is a proud 26-year-old indigenous rangatahi, working within the Philanthropic sector to serve the community of the Bay of Plenty as the Community and Māori Liaison Advisor at Bay of Plenty Community Trust based in Tauranga.
Lotima is passionate about enabling self-determination, equity, systems change and positive intergenerational impact. He lends his unique perspective, experiences and voice to many platforms whether it be at the grassroots level or the decision-making level.
His connection to Asia is through whakapapa, stemming from the journey of his tūpuna through Asia before voyaging across Te Moana-nui-ā-Kiwa. He believes there is a collective responsibility to be good “neighbours” as we share 30 percent of the ocean with each other and inherently impact each other and the environment. He is enthusiastic about bridging relationships to enable positive change.