Widow of six buys first home after Pacific-focused money course

Watch Laila's story

A sole parent who raised six children has purchased her first home after completing a Pacific-focused financial education programme she says helped her turn long-term goals into a plan.

Laila Ah Lam-Tufue, a widow and sole parent, settled on her first property last week after a four-year effort she credits to lessons learned on the Makatuliki programme and the follow-up support that came after it ended.

“I’m a graduate of Makatuliki and I’ve just bought my first home,” she said. “There are so many parts to it—the tools, the strategies. Each step linked back to homeownership.”

Ah Lam-Tufue first encountered the programme via Facebook during Covid, when courses moved online. She enrolled alongside her niece and says being in a virtual room with other Pacific families made the difference.

“You’re in a programme with people who look like you,” she said. “You’re watching other families go through the same journey. It felt safe to learn.”

The course covered a range of practical topics—from budgeting to debt management—framed within a Pacific context. Ah Lam-Tufue said that helped her adjust spending without abandoning cultural responsibilities.

“For me it started with bringing my debt down and becoming financially independent and stable,” she said. “Taking ownership of something I felt weak in was empowering.”

What stood out, she says, was the pastoral care offered after the formal teaching finished—check-ins that kept her accountable to the goals she had set.

“I don’t think other programmes offer pastoral care sessions after it’s finished,” she said. “Those follow-ups held me to the plan. I had a five-year goal to buy a home and I did it in four.”

Ah Lam-Tufue’s experience highlights a growing focus on culturally anchored financial education, which aims to blend mainstream money skills with the realities of family, church and community commitments common in Pacific households. Advocates say that approach increases engagement and helps learners stick with plans over time.

For the mother of six, the changes were incremental rather than dramatic—tracking spending, calling lenders, setting up payment plans and building a budget that could withstand everyday pressures.

“It wasn’t one big leap,” she said. “It was small steps, consistently.”

She now recommends the programme to other Pacific families and individuals pursuing homeownership.

“Makatuliki provides tools and a framework that are Pacific-focused,” she said. “I’m very proud of what it’s given me—confidence with money and a pathway to my own home.”

Faith also played a part in the journey, she says. “I’m grateful to God for blessing me with Makatuliki”

On settlement day last week, Ah Lam-Tufue walked through the front door of her new home with her children—an outcome she hopes will encourage others to start their own path.

“If you’ve got a goal, get the support and stick to the plan,” she said. “It works.”

Learn more about our Makatuliki programme