Tihei: Help for Hawke's Bay kaumātua to 'come alive'

Our kaumātua Haami Hilton and his lovely wife Edina. Photo / Supplied

Health providers in Hawke's Bay are uniting to support kaumātua Māori 55 and older, to stay informed and be well.

This collaborative approach is called Tae Ora Mai, a phrase created to depict new learning to help kaumātua to "come alive" in understanding their own wellbeing by being informed, educated and resourced to live a happier, healthier life.

Last year, Health Hawke's Bay established a working group with five Māori health providers within Hawke's Bay.

The groups, Kahungunu Executive, Te Roopū-a-Iwi Trust, Te Kupenga Hauora Ahuriri, Choices Kahungunu, and Hauora Heretaunga, agreed to share knowledge, services and resources to benefit whānau, hapū and iwi. This group is called Te Kāhui Waiora.

Te Kāhui Waiora is pleased to work alongside Health Hawke's Bay and Hawke's Bay District Health Board to create this positive approach to improve kaumātua wellbeing and healthcare.

To commence this sharing of information, workshops will be held throughout Hawke's Bay in Heretaunga (Hastings), Te Whanganui-ā-Orotu (Napier), Wairoa, and Tamatea (Central Hawke's Bay) at comfortable facilities, and will include lunch.

Each workshop will be suited to the kaumātua in the specific rohe and hosted by the Te Kāhui Waiora providers in that area. Presenters will include health professionals and whānau who communicate well with our kaumātua.

Tae Ora Mai is proudly supported by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated and the Tihei Mauri Ora Emergency Response Centre. Ngāti Kahungunu is the third-largest iwi in Aotearoa and geographically, the tribe has the nation's second-longest coastline, from Paritū in the north to Turakirae in the south.

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated maintains an independent position to provide advice and advocate for the interests, rights, values, beliefs and practices of Ngāti Kahungunu alongside whānau and hapū. Its mission is to enhance the mana and wellbeing of Ngāti Kahungunu.

The Tihei Mauri Ora Emergency Response Centre was initiated from a hui held in March 2020 led by Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana and attended by Taiwhenua leaders and several Māori health providers, Hawke's Bay District Health Board and primary health organisations.

Due to uncertainty over what the Covid-19 pandemic would bring, it was agreed that a community welfare group be set up to support whānau during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Tihei Mauri Ora quickly emerged and today continues to enhance the support being provided in the communities through Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated's constituent Taiwhenua, Kaupapa Māori providers, and other community and government networks. The main group of people needing support are our most vulnerable, our whānau pounamu, our treasures, our kaumātua.

The first Tae Ora Mai workshop is being held in Heretaunga on Wednesday, April 13, at Clubs Hastings. Check out the poster in Tihei Kahungunu.

The details
What: Tae Ora Mai – Kaumātua Workshop
When: Wednesday, April 13; 10am - noon then lunch
Where: Clubs Hastings - 308 Victoria St, Hastings 4122

• To register your attendance for catering purposes, contact Brenda Ferguson, projects manager, Tihei Mauri Ora Emergency Response Centre