Te Hono O Ngā Waka is a kaupapa Māori organisation supporting whānau and meeting need in Te Tai o Poutini
Our kaupapa / purpose
Te Hono O Ngā Waka is a kaupapa Māori collective that was established in 2020 to address the needs and create positive outcomes for Māori within Te Tai o Poutini.
At the heart of everything we do is a drive to address the needs and create positive outcomes for Māori in Te Tai o Poutini through delivering Māori-designed and led social, health, and educational services that aim to empower whānau to thrive in all aspects of life, from health and education to culture and identity. We also seek to strengthen the connections between whānau, hapū, iwi, and other stakeholders in Te Tai o Poutini.
Our vision at Te Hono O Ngā Waka is to create a Te Tai o Poutini community within which Māori are thriving in alignment with te ao Māori; te ao Māori is the Māori worldview that encompasses the values, beliefs, knowledge, and practices of Māori. Central to our mahi is enabling understandings of and encouraging healing from the impacts of historical and intergenerational trauma that many whānau Māori have inherited, as this is often closely related to the present challenges they face.
At Te Hono o Nga Waka, we are entirely driven by the pursuit of improved social, cultural, and economic outcomes with in our local community. Specifically, we aspire to achieve the following broader outcomes:
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Building cultural safety for Māori
Our services and support works to create communities that are safe for Māori to practice and feel confident in their cultural identity; this starts with children in the earliest years of their lives and their education, and includes older generations that have frequently lacked pride in their identity as Māori.
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Social cohesion and success
We value inclusive and cohesive communities where everyone feels valued as they are and supported to thrive. As a local organisation, we know our community well; we are working hard to put in place support systems that work for us to ensure that everyone within our community receives the support they need, how and when they need it.
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Career opportunities for Māori / locals
Te Tai o Poutini can be a hard place to live due to the limited employment/career opportunities in the rohe, especially for those who are talented and ambitious. Yet it is important that we keep our best and brightest here if we are going to improve our future. Our delivery model provides valuable learning and development opportunities and professional careers for our locals, and Māori in particular. We proudly employ 16 locals and are still growing.
Our services
The specific services that we provide cut across a wide range of areas and programmes, in partnership with a number of government agencies and other organisations that are committed to making positive impact. Broadly speaking, our services fit into six main kaupapa:
Matauranga Māori
Learning perspectives and practices to reconnect whānau to their Māori culture
Whanau hauora
Learning, activities and advocacy to support whānau to connect and thrive together
Physical hauora
Initiatives to support whānau to have healthy bodies and live in healthy environments
Thriving lifestyles
Activities and advocacy to build skills and empower independent and successful livelihoods
Personal hauora
Initiatives and activities to promote self-respect and emotional wellbeing
Community development
Initiatives to build community, find belonging, and take care of those we live alongside.
Recent Updates
