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26
WHÄNAU SOCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMMES
ORANGA WHÄNAU
EXTENDED TO 2013
“Oranga Whänau”, one of Te Puni Kökiri’s key
Whänau Social Assistance Programmes, has
been extended to June 2013 so that it aligns with
the current programme duration for “Kaitoko
Whänau”, the other key Whänau Social Assistance
Programme initiatives.
Oranga Whänau is a pilot initiative that has
been running in Whangärei, Auckland, Rotorua,
Palmerston North, and Wellington since late 2009.
Oranga Whänau aims to support young Mäori
parents and their whänau by providing advice on
nurturing, care giving and meeting the needs of
their children from those who know best; kuia.
Twenty-one kuia, working in groups of three,
from seven different Mäori provider organisations
operate primarily out of marae and work directly
in homes and communities. This personal, ‘kanohi
ki te kanohi’ approach is aimed at emulating
positive family relationships.
Guided by principles of whanaungatanga,
whängai, tiakitanga, and wai ora, the Oranga
Whänau works through the kuia to re-weave
and re-connect the whänau with their whänau
whänui and community. On a day-to-day level,
the kuia aim to provide parenting support, homemaking
support, pre-natal and ante-natal advice
to young mothers, for up to 10 whänau each.
Emerging findings from a review of Oranga
Whänau Pilot highlights the importance of
self-referrals and word-of-mouth as a means for
whänau to engage with kuia. Financial hardship
was also identified as a key issue affecting 90%
of all whänau involved in Oranga Whänau either
directly or indirectly.
The review also highlights that whänau
were making changes, including seeking
education opportunities, aimed at improving
their circumstances significantly. Whänau
were attributing this to the support and
encouragement of the kuia.
The Oranga Whänau Pilot will continue, at this
stage, through until mid-2013.
TE PUNI KÖKIRI | KÖKIRI | NGAHURU / AUTUMN 2012
TAMARIKI
Two years ago Aroha (Te Arawa) and
Missy (Ngäpuhi) Armstrong knew what
many other Rotorua mothers knew: the
town was great for tourists but it lacked
indoor entertainment and innovative
childcare options for young families.
The sisters-in-laws considered studying
business in Auckland but with their own
young families this would have been very
difficult. Instead they chose to obtain
their “degree on the job” by purchasing
and turning around a failing business.
Their first hurdle in business was to
create a detailed business plan to
present to the bank in order to obtain
finance. Something they say was not
an easy task when the business they
intended to buy looked as though it
was in its death throes. Te Puni Kökiri’s
Mäori Business Facilitation Service
advisors in Rotorua were instrumental
throughout this process. Before long
Playtopia Playland and Café in Ti Street,
Rotorua was born.
Aroha and Missy both believe that
failing to plan in business is planning
to fail. With Te Puni Kökiri’s help, they
established and implemented realistic
business plans over the last two years.
“Te Puni Kökiri also assisted with budget
forecasts, employment contracts,
policies, procedures and much more.
This thorough planning prior to going
into business helped us to get a realistic
view of what we were getting ourselves
into,” says Missy.
“You know if we had gone in blind
without that help we would have been
in a bad way today, in fact, we probably
wouldn’t even be here today.”