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Kia noho rangatira ngā whānau Māori katoa te take e whakaohooho ai te whatumanawa ō Jackie me Dale Mutu. Kua parangia kētia te huarahi o te hiringa ngākau e te nui me te iti o te tangata e tika ana mā muri e whai. Mai i te tau e rua mano, kotahi ngāhuru mā iwa kua roa te tokorua nei e hapahāpai ana i te huarahi ki te whenua o Mehiko ki reira te tangata kaitā mākere ngako ai. Nō Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Tūhoe me Ngāti Kahungungu a Jackie.
Nō Te Arawa me Ngai Tahu tōna matua tāne a Dale. E noho tūturu toimaha ana te māuiuitanga mate huka, mate manawa me ētehi atu take māuiui ki ō rāua kānoi.
‘Haere tahi ai māua ko taku hoa mākau ki Mehiko mō tana tapahanga. Koia te mataati.
Ko tōna mātua tāne tetehi i hinga i te mate huka, wheoi anō ka whia hoki te rahi o tōna whānau i hinga i tēnei momo. Ka noho tahi māua ka nui te mamae o taku whatumanawa e mataki ana i ā ia e wewero ana i tana ringaringa ki te taiaki huka kia toru rawa ngā werohanga i te rangi kotahi. Ka oti ana i ā ia ēnei werohanga ka tahuri ki te kai i āna pire manawa.
Tokorima katoa ā māua tamariki. He kore rawa hia hia nōku ki a mate ohorere ia. Nā reira i timatangia ai māua ki te rapu whare tapahanga māna otīā mā māua tahi. Ka rokohanga e māua te wāhi tika e pai ai ki a māua e noho mai nā i te whenua o Mehiko. Kāti ka kotahi atu māua ko taku rangatira tane ki reira māua tahi pokaia ai.
Nō tō māua hokitanga mai ki Aotearoa nei, ka whakapiri hoki mai ngā hoa me te whānau he rongo kōrero, whaihoki he takahi hoki i te huarahi i haerehia e māua.’ Puehu pai ana te huarahi i te tini o te tangata e takahi haere ana i te huarahi ki Mehiko. Kua eke noa ki te toru tekau o te tangata. Ko ōku mātua hoki etehi o rātau. Ināianei, kai te harikoa katoa te whānau’. Hai tā Jackie.
Ko te mate ohorere te tino take i whakaaraara ai e rāua te kamupene nei. Me te aroha mutunga kore ki a tātau te Māori. Ko A Healthier Me. te ūpoko o tā rāua kamupene. He huarahi kē atu i ngā whakaaro kai te takiwā e pōteretere kau ana.
Ka ara ake te pātai – ko Mehiko? Āe, he whenua pai a Mehiko. E toru rawa ngā take. Tuatahi he iti nō te nama ki te tapahanga. Tāpirihia ki tēnei ko te nama o te aropereina me te noho i taua whenua rā.
Ki te titiro ki Hawaiki Tahutahu nei, ka kite nei tātau, āe, he pai tō tātau whenua engari kāore e rahi ana ngā tūnga tapahanga e wātea ana ki te tangata me te rahi noa atu o ngā pekerangi e whakapōturi nei i te tangata e tae ai ia ki te tapahanga. Nō reira te whakaaro ki a titiro ki whenua kē atu. He oranga anō hai patu i te nama nā rāua hoki e kimi i tētehi huarahi e taea ai te tangata ki te tōtō mai i ngā hereni i te pūtea Kiwisaver hai nama i te tapahanga.
Ko te pae tata nei ki a rāua he awhina i te hunga e noho toimaha rukiruki ki te huarahi o te tapahanga. Ko te pae tawhiti he kauawhiawhi hoki i te rahi o te tangata momoho ki a ū nei rātau ki te ara o Tānetewaiora.
' Kua takahia e māua ko taku tāne te huarahi nei. Āe e noho toimaha ana i tētehi wā, ināianei kai te ara o Tāne e kipakipa ana.
Kua puakingia e māua te ara ki te ora mā muri e whai. E hoa mā. Kia kamakama hai aha koe e noho atu ai. Ko te mea nui ki a māua. Kua ea te wāhanga tuatahi ki a māua. He oranga ake ake ki tua o te paewhenua e kore a muri e hokia.’
Mēnā koe e hiahia ki te whai i te ara o te tokomaha e huri anō ai tō kanohi ki te rākura, whakapā atu ā pukamata ki a Jackie me Dale Mutu ko A Healthier Me, tā rāua whārangi pae pāpāoho pāpori.
Inspired by their desire to support the well-being of Māori families, Rotorua-based Jackie and Dale Mutu have championed a transformative mission.
Since 2019, the dedicated duo has led a kaupapa that offers an empowering journey to Mexico for weight loss surgery.
Jackie (Te Arawa, Tūwharetoa, Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu) and her husband of 28 years, Dale (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu), began this venture in response to their family’s history with type 2 diabetes, heart issues, and other weight-related health conditions.
“The first person I took for surgery was my husband who had lost his father and other family members to diabetes. He had got to a stage where he was injecting insulin three times a day and taking heart medication daily. “We had five children and didn’t want to lose him to diabetes too. So, we made the decision to take him for surgery.
“We looked at many places around the world but Tijuana, Mexico, felt right for us. I also had surgery due to also starting to have the early stages of diabetes,” says Jackie.
The initiative has since expanded beyond their personal needs. After their surgeries, friends and whānau approached them, seeking similar transformative journeys.
“We never thought through the path we took; other family and friends would go. But 30 people later, including my mum and dad, we now have healthy happy whānau out there,” says Jackie.
Their business venture, which has now impacted families both regionally and nationally, was driven by the alarming rates of premature deaths among the Māori due to weight-related illnesses. The Mutu’s initiative, A Healthier Me, offers an alternative solution.
Mexico emerged as the prime location due to its significantly reduced surgery costs, which include flights and accommodations. Comparatively, while New Zealand offers weight loss surgeries under its public health system, there are limited spots and numerous barriers, making the overseas option more viable for many.
The Mutu’s have also assisted whānau in utilising KiwiSaver to finance their surgeries.
In the short term, the couple aims to extend their reach to assist more individuals dealing with health issues. Their broader vision focuses on the idea that as more whānau undergo surgery, it leads to a reduction in weight-related health problems, ensuring they enjoy a longer life with their loved ones.
“Our business came about because we experienced first-hand before we set it up.
“We looked back on our journey and created a smooth path for others. For anyone thinking about having this surgery – don’t wait. We wish we’d had this surgery earlier. It was one of the best decisions we ever made,” says Jackie.
For those interested in joining this life-changing kaupapa or seeking more information, Jackie and Dale Mutu can be reached on their Facebook page, A Healthier Me.