Lolofi Olo Soakai, the Founder and Executive Director of MALO (Motivating Action Leadership Opportunity), brings a fierce yet grounded dedication to her work. Growing up in a family rooted in heritage, faith, and hospitality, she has shaped MALO into an organization that champions social justice and community empowerment. As a first-generation Tongan American, Soakai envisions taking MALO to new heights, emphasizing resilience as a means of challenging systems that hinder community growth.
MALO was launched nearly a decade ago, inspired by Soakai’s commitment to family and education. Her father’s role in founding the First United Methodist Church in Ontario provided a foundation for MALO, which now uses the church as a meeting space. Soakai’s childhood home in the 1970s served as a sanctuary for Tongan immigrants, planting early seeds for her future work as a community change agent.
The nonprofit’s development accelerated when Soakai’s Master’s in Ethical Leadership project offered an opportunity to expand her vision. MALO now serves the Tongan and Pacific Islander community in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, focusing on youth mentorship, health initiatives, cultural preservation, and job readiness.
A key aspect of MALO’s mission is bridging generational gaps, connecting youth with elders, and providing access to essential local resources. Cultural heritage and community engagement remain central to the organization’s activities and events, fostering a sense of identity and belonging.
Recent grants from the Inland Empire Community Foundation, including the Gates Educational Advancement Grant and Youth Grantmakers, have strengthened MALO’s ability to support its programs. Soakai highlighted that this funding allows youth to dream big, explore leadership opportunities, and actively implement their ideas, moving projects forward without waiting for additional resources.
MALO’s upcoming four-year project, described by Soakai as “one of a kind,” will offer youth the space to realize the potential of hands-on initiatives. Although details are being kept under wraps, the project exemplifies the organization’s commitment to youth empowerment and community impact.
In addition to youth programs, MALO provides a broad range of initiatives encompassing health, cultural preservation, leadership development, and educational partnerships, including collaborations with Pomona College’s Asian American Resource Center. Today, MALO stands as the only Tongan-led, Tongan-serving organization in the Inland Empire that actively connects the Tongan, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (NHPI) community to local resources in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Soakai emphasizes the ongoing need for more community-driven solutions, noting that the organization often has to create what works for its community rather than relying on pre-existing structures. MALO’s work continues to fill critical gaps, strengthening cultural identity and fostering empowerment for Tongan and Pacific Islander communities.
