Te Aka Whai Ora floods and hardship
Through close partnerships with funding agencies like TPK, MSD and Kainga Ora, we’ve been able to provide targeted support, coordinate fast solutions, and boost resilience after crises and emergency events.
Our vast experience has given us a deep understanding of the unique needs and goals of tāngata whaikaha Māori in times of hardship. This understanding was put to work in the aftermath of the Auckland Anniversary floods.
First, our service facilitators identified the tāngata whaikaha Māori who had been impacted. Then, through a skillfully coordinated rōpū kōrero with whānau, we figured out the unique challenges caused by the flooding. Next we checked the available funding, support, or services – all with a holistic focus on overall wellbeing.
Our all-Māori rōpū was key to making sure our response was culturally sound. With this ‘By Māori, for Māori’ approach, we could address head-on the inequities that tāngata whaikaha so often face in social services.
Mereana’s Story
Mereana’s backyard was a haven for her
The floods had also left behind an overwhelming mess, which made it difficult for the family to move forward. On top of all this, Mereana was growing more and more concerned about Zariah’s mental wellbeing. She’d been thinking about getting counselling for her, but the added expense was yet another worry to add to her already-full plate.
When they had COVID, Mereana and her whānau had received support from social services. But this time around, they weren’t sure whether to ask for help, because they thought there were others out there who were far worse off than themselves.
Having built a close connection to Mereana and her family, we understood the challenges they were facing, and sensed they needed support.
We worked with Mereana to explore how we could help her whānau get back on track. We connected her with the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) to help with the flood clean-up. We looked at the supports she was already receiving from Whaikaha, and talked to her about using her Carer Support subsidy to take a break and focus on her own mental health, too.
We helped replace some of Zariah’s outdoor toys, and also purchased art supplies so she and her siblings could keep themselves entertained indoors while waiting out the bad weather. Mereana described our support as being like a Christmas gift, giving her whānau a renewed sense of hope.
Thanks to funding from Te Aka Whai Ora, Mereana and her family – like many other tāngata whaikaha Māori we support – were able to explore a range of support options. Helping them recover from the flood damage, and move forward with their lives.
Mereana felt optimistic that the resources and support we provided will help her loved ones build up their resilience.
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To talk to us about new partnership opportunities, reach out to our development team.