Southern View: May 23, 2017

6 Tuesday May 23 2017
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SOUTHERN VIEW
Church project to improve health
A GROUP of five Canterbury
health organisations are
collaborating to help improve
the lives of the region’s Pacific
communities through their
churches.
The initiative known as the
‘Tutupu Project’ has been widely
welcomed.
Seven churches
from around
Christchurch and
as far afield as
Ashburton and
West Melton are
participating in a
Maria
Pasene
nine-month commitment
to educate
and empower
nominated ‘health champions’
who will then take information
back to their communities.
“I wanted to be involved in the
Tutupu Project because this is an
opportunity for me to learn and
gather information about health,
so I can then pass on to my
family, church and community,”
said Teuila Saafi, youth leader of
Christchurch’s Tongan Seventh
Day Adventist.
Pegasus Health, Community
and Public Health, Rural Canterbury
PHO, Etu Pasifika and
Healthy Families Christchurch
will mentor the health champions
in nutrition, exercise and ways to
improve their health literacy.
Pegasus Health’s Pacific health
manager and project leader,
BREAKOUT:
Health
champions
taking an
exercise break.
Maria Pasene, said the health
champions will attend health
education sessions to expand
their knowledge about nutrition
and the importance of physical
activity with a particular focus
on children and young people.
“We have discussed the ways
in which Pacific peoples can help
clinicians to assist them in their
health journey. This includes
pushing past their natural shyness,
speaking up and providing
important information at visits to
the GP and hospital and asking
questions when they aren’t sure
about what’s being discussed. It’s
important to assert our needs
to improve our communities’
health.”
Ms Pasene said Pacific communities
were at a point where
they see themselves as part of the
solution rather than the problem.
“They are willing to investigate
ways to improve the health of
their families and communities.
We have the ability to link them
to resources and services that
will work with them in a way that
makes sense, such as church environments
where Pacific peoples
naturally connect, support and
communicate with each other.”
Cashmere students form volunteer army to do good
• By Noah Graham
THE CASHMERE Volunteer
Army is getting stuck in with the
community.
The army was started at Cashmere
High School in March last
year and has been helping out
community groups since.
From its initial clean-up of a
park in Cashmere View Tce to
helping with planting on the
Port Hills, the year 9 to 11 students
have done their best to do
good in the community.
School year 11 dean Margaux
Hlavac helped organise the
group alongside the year 10 student
council.
“It’s been a fantastic thing to
get under way as it is helping our
young people to feel connected
and valued in their community
and to feel like they can make a
difference.”
She said it was lovely to see
the students working alongside
people of different ages with a
common purpose.
The students’ most recent efforts
to make the community a
better place included the year 11
students hosting a school dodgeball
tournament, which raised
$250 for the Port Hills Restoration
fund, as well as helping with
the Mother of All Clean Ups.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT: The
Cashmere Volunteer Army
spends its time involved with
community projects to help
clean up and improve their
area.
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