Reverend Victor Pouesi, of Auckland, QSM, for services to the Samoan community
Reverend Victor Pouesi, of Auckland, QSM, for services to the Samoan community.
Reverend Victor Pouesi is minister of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa in Mangere East. He set up a homework centre in the church hall, supported by the University of Otago, which has offered scholarships for students. He initiated a playgroup to help families who could not afford local preschools. This has since grown into two licensed Samoan bi-lingual preschools, with more than 100 families attending each year. He coordinates ‘13 Days of Christmas’, a programme of performances by church and choir groups, with meals provided. In 2019, Reverend Pouesi hosted a large Institutional and Careers Expo at the church.