He Waka Tapu kindly said, ‘nau mai, haere mai’ (welcome to our place), to the Mana Ake kaimahi (workers) at a moving pōwhiri on Tuesday 19 January.

Desiree Ettmuller, Mana Ake Practice Lead, said the team was very excited when He Waka Tapu offered to host and give the Mana Ake whānau the opportunity to experience a pōwhiri.

“It provided us with a special way to come together to welcome in 2021, especially for those that haven’t been part of a pōwhiri before,” says Desiree. 

“We have started the year the way we intend to carry on, which is about learning from each other, building relationships and focusing on cultural practice.”

Sina Latu, Mana Ake kaimahi employed by NGO provider network member Family Help Trust, said the pōwhiri was a nice opportunity to meet in a ‘refreshing’ change of environment.

“It’s great to come together, as we are all working for different organisations, so to get this opportunity to share with others and connect is valuable,” says Sina. 

Jonathan Crosby, Mana Ake kaimahi employed by the Methodist Mission and one of the first kaimahi recruited to Mana Ake in 2018, said it’s nice to do some intentional bonding with new people and others who have been with the service for a while.

“It shows a commitment and optimism for 2021. I’m looking forward to the opportunities for the year, particularly around running parenting sessions, play therapy and drop-in sessions for parents,” says Jonathan.

The pōwhiri is a process of removing the tapu (sacredness / set apart) of the visitors and making them one with the tangata whenua (hosts). The group experienced this as He Waka Tapu kaimahi welcomed their fellow kaimahi from 12 other organisations. The kaikaranga (women callers at the pōwhiri) wove the two groups together through their voices.

“Connection and relationships are at the heart of Mana Ake and the mahi (work) that we do, and this pōwhiri offered a special opportunity for kaimahi to come together and reconnect with their colleagues and wider organisations.”

“The intent of this hūi served many purposes including providing us with a framework to effectively engage with whānau using the different components of the pōwhiri - for example whakawhanaungatanga (establish relationships), manaakitanga (showing respect, generosity and care) and aroha (love),” says Desiree.

“There has been an intentional focus placed on the value of cultural knowledge and skills, that continues to evolve and be shaped through learning from each other. This helps our kaimahi develop stronger relationships with whānau and communities and achieve the best possible outcomes for tamariki.”

Karaitiana Tickell, Kaiwhakahaere Chief Executive for the Purapura Whetu Trust, NGO perspective on CCN’s Alliance Leadership Team and member of the Mana Ake SLA presented to the kaimahi about these cultural considerations and the complex challenges faced by Māori including health and educational inequities and institutional racism.
Karaitiana spoke about what brings people together to work in health, which is often our shared experiences of inequity in different forms. 

He referred to data which illustrated the significant divide between Māori and non-Māori’s health and wellness. For example, 64% of children admissions to care and protection residences are Māori (demographic statistics as at 2013), and the impact of the predicted growth for the Māori population. 

“Cultural considerations need to be forefront in our service provision” says Karaitiana.

Mana Ake Project Lead, Clare Shepherd, acknowledged the amazing experience the kaimahi shared and thanked the team at He Waka Tapu for welcoming us to 2021 and their whare (house).

“Our kaimahi are doing an amazing job, which is reflected in the feedback we receive every day, particularly around how good we are at building relationships with our tamariki, their whānau and teachers,” says Clare. 

“We have been working hard with the Rata Foundation, Ngai Tahu and Oranga Tamariki on what cultural competency looks like for our Mana Ake kaimahi, so to begin the year experiencing and learning about the custom of pōwhiri is a great start.”

Find out more about the Mana Ake SLA here.