Huia Mai
Nau mai haere mai ki Huia Mai.
Huia Mai is part of Visionwest’s strategy to prioritise Kaupapa Māori and involves the provision of services that respond in a culturally informed way to the needs of whānau Māori and all other whānau who seek our support.
Huia Mai also involves internal initiatives that express our Kaupapa Māori journey and help with its ongoing development.
The support services that come under Huia Mai are written about in the following pages; some of the Huia Mai initiatives currently underway are written about below.
Te Tiriti Training
Over the past year, over 150 staff have taken part in Ako Reka (Sweet Learning) – a unique Te Tiriti o Waitangi workshop that helps participants understand the story of this whenua and their place in the conversation and challenges we currently face. More teams across Visionwest are planning to hold this workshop in the year ahead.
Following on from Ako Reka, we have commenced the roll-out of Korero Reka (Sweet Talking) which aims to establish regular follow up conversation spaces to discuss together what the application of Te Tiriti means for each of us in our day-to-day mahi.
Housing First Collective – Maiea, Tāiki E!
Housing First has been working on the creation of a renewed strategy for the Collective – the first since it was established – that focuses specifically on the provision of housing for Māori. This has included facilitating a hui of housing staff across the Collective at Orakei Marae on 28 April 2023. The hui’s purpose was to engage, critique and develop the strategy towards its final form with a view to formally launching the strategy at Visionwest’s Glendale Road site on 1 September 2023.
Huia Mai staff have been an integral part of this Housing First Kaupapa Māori ropu providing wisdom from Te Ao Māori to this vital strategy and ongoing mahi.
Huia Mai staff and Flood Relief:
Huia Mai staff were able to be deployed in response to Auckland’s extraordinary weather events where our Whānau Centre and Community Connector staff played an important role (see the Flood Response page).
Te Rautaki Hauora
A significant project over the past year for Huia Mai and Home Healthcare has been formalising Te Rautaki Hauora (a Māori Health Plan). Visionwest has approached this task thoroughly as we have sought to identify significant inequalities and barriers within our area of Home Healthcare. We are committing to an Action Plan to strengthen our organisational response to these challenges.
This Plan will be completed by October 2023 after which the work needed to embed Te Rautaki Hauora into our daily practice begins.
He ao te rangi ka uhia, ma te huruhuru te manu ka rere ai.
As the clouds cover the sky, so the bird needs feathers so it can fly.
– Whakatauākī – Tamaterangi
The feathers of Visionwest’s Huia Mai are the various initiatives that sit within this team.
Mātanga Oranga
Mātanga Oranga provides trauma-informed care in the form of counselling within a Kaupapa Māori framework.
Mātanga Oranga has seen a huge increase in demand over the past year including an increased number of referrals from police and an influx of whānau affected by Auckland’s weather events. We have aimed to be proactive in our response to the need for trauma counselling following the flooding and are currently facilitating two weekly adult groups and one children’s group. A total of 50 children and parents have registered for this group.
Alongside those experiencing trauma following the Auckland flood events, we continue to work with whānau who have come to a place where they wish to address the intergenerational trauma that has affected them throughout their lives. It is a privilege to be a part of this work and incredibly satisfying to see the life change that so many of our whānau have experienced.
My Whare
My Whare is a Huia Mai initiative that works to address the issue of homelessness amongst rangatahi (young people). You can read about this mahi in the My Whare page of this report.
Ōhinga Tū
Ōhinga Tū serves a vital role in addressing issues relating to the growth and development of rangatahi which will encourage their confidence, help them to discover and increase their mana, and prepare them for a flourishing future. You can read about this mahi in the Ōhinga Tū pages of this report.
Mātanga Oranga has grown to 4 specialist trauma therapists servicing a total of 80 whānau addressing intergenerational traumas.
From this past year’s clients, 17 have returned to the workforce and study. Some of these have not worked or studied before and several were beneficiaries.
Mātanga Oranga staff have seen significant reductions in drug and alcohol use/addictions amongst our clients.
Our culturally informed response
Tā mātou whakautu ki te āhuatanga ahurea
Whānau receiving Mātanga Oranga support
Mātanga Oranga sessions delivered
Tereanna’s Story
Tereanna never expected to find herself “homeless,” but that was before the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods. After her whānau lost their home and all their possessions, she came to Visionwest to find accommodation, but she discovered so much more. .