Potaua Biasiny-Tule: Helping navigate a new path

Ann Kururangi assists whanau realise their dreams with Korowai Aroha. Photo / Supplied

Support worker has mandate to change lives

For Ann Kururangi (Ngati Porou, Te Whanau-a-Apanui and Rongowhakaata), paearahi (navigator) at Korowai Aroha Health Centre, the part of the job she loves the most is when "the light goes on" and she becomes witness to that moment when "whanau realise that their dreams, really, can come true".

Ann works within Korowai Aroha's Kaupapa Maori Early Intervention team.

She has a background in healthcare having previously worked for Rotorua PHO as a smoking cessation specialist and before that co-ordinating kaumatua programmes with Te Whare Hauora o Ngongotaha.

What attracted Ann to Korowai Aroha was the ability to work within multi-generational whanau groups in the areas of immunisation, ASH conditions, smoking cessation, while supporting families to grow stronger and become more aware of ending the negative cycles they find themselves in.

Through her work supporting whanau she has found that the simple act of putting dreams and goals to paper helps whanau "connect the dots" assisting them to make a working plan to achieve goals that benefit all generations of the whanau.

This process also allows whanau to work together to realise the capacity and skills the greater whanui have, helping to build stronger connections between families. This process has led in many cases to whanau overcoming decades of unspoken raru among one another and working collectively towards their goals.

One particular whanau Ann has worked with have been particularly inspiring.

As a result of a highly motivated group, the whanau was able to move to the implementation stage of their PATH (Planning Alternative Tomorrows with Hope) within 14 days, having successfully organised three hui in that time.

The family are certain that it was their paearahi that made their journey possible, with Ann reminding them that it was them all along, that they just needed to "sit down and have the korero".