Samoan 'climate warrior' Okalani Mariner said prior to joining the Pacific Pawa Up Fellowship, she had been feeling a little lost.
Mariner said the part inside of her that burned for community, storytelling and climate justice felt less like a flame and more so like a glowing ember.
She said during the last three months, the climate community had been patient, gentle and encouraging.
"You have taught us the power of our voices when we stand united together as one," she told the graduates. "You have reminded me of the impact you can make by sharing your unique story.
"In Samoan culture, we use the ipu ava or bilo in welcoming ceremonies to scoop and serve the ava to the high chief and visiting guests to honour and welcome them into the village.
"Today the ipu ava is symbolic for us. We are the ipu ava and the love, encouragement, knowledge, skillsets and mentoring we have received from our PCW family is the ava inside."
Mariner urged the graduates to use the knowledge, skill sets and mentoring that they had received to teach and educate others that there was hope for future generations.
"That there are warriors who will not stop until the voices of our people are heard, that these warriors have banded together as one to declare that we are not drowning, we are fighting," she said.
"This is my prayer, that we - like the ipu ava will pour our knowledge and our love out to others so that it may also fill their ipu, just as this fellowship has filled ours."
Mallam said the training also included inspiring individuals to take action and grow leadership, and diversify, support, link and grow groups within the Pacific climate movement and beyond.
She said other topics were shifting narratives on climate action and climate justice (so that participants could) dismantle pillars of support of the fossil fuel industry.
Graduates also learned to organise and engage climate activists, strategising, engaging in the UNFCCC process, storytelling and communications skills, she said.
"The PPUF tapped into the power of digital platforms and communications systems to create an enabling platform to ensure the Pacific Climate Warriors are doing the work required to continue organizing their communities while respecting the cultural diversity of indigenous communities and the integrity of front-line communities."