Tātai whetū ki te rangi, mau tonu, mau tonu,
Tātai tangata ki te whenua, ngaro noa, ngaro noa!
Ki te wahine rangatira nō Te Tai Tokerau,
ki a Kathleen Wharton, uri nō te whānau Keremete,
otirā koutou ko ngā mate o te tau, te marama, te wiki, me te wā,
e moe koutou i te āiotanga o te Pō.
Tauāraitia te Pō tītoko ki te Ao Mārama,
Tihē mauri ora!
Healthy Families Rotorua is wrapping up 2025 feeling proud of a year full of progress, strong relationships, and plenty of good mahi across the rohe.
Manager Jenny Kaka-Scott said the year had been one of reflection as well as momentum.
“As we look back on 2025, we remember those we’ve lost, we acknowledge the challenges our whānau and communities have faced, and we recognise the collective strength that continues to drive this kaupapa forward,” she says.
“Mātauranga Māori, whānau voice and strong partnerships have guided everything we’ve done.”
Jenny said the team had worked to balance traditional knowledge with modern innovation.
“We combine the wisdom of our tūpuna with the fresh ideas of today. That blend has helped us find new ways of thinking and doing, and it’s been central to creating healthier futures alongside community champions and sector leaders,” she said.
A major milestone this year was the creation of the Healthy Families Te Manawa Taki Regional Collective, which links the Rotorua, Te Ngira and East Cape sites. The collective has begun to align priorities, share capabilities, and drive joint action across the region.
“This partnership signals an exciting step forward for our kaupapa,” says Jenny. “When we stand together, we amplify our influence and create a stronger platform for systems change.”
She said the benefits of the collaboration were already becoming clear, including stronger leadership alignment, faster translation of national priorities into regional action, co-designed workforce development, and deeper relationships across the rohe.
This year also marked Healthy Families Rotorua’s involvement in the Healthy Families NZ national evaluation, an independent process underway across the motu. Jenny says the team welcomed the opportunity to contribute.
“We were pleased to participate in the HFNZ evaluation process and look forward to the insights that will emerge from the results,” she says. “Our contribution focused on demonstrating our ability to activate innovative systems change, supported by a suite of high-quality artefacts that showcase our mahi alongside community partners.”
Alongside regional progress, several locally led initiatives continued to gain traction. The Te Hā o te Ora wānanga series used taonga pūoro and breathwork to support whānau wanting to reduce smoking and vaping harm and has been recognised as a promising culturally grounded approach.
Work on kai sovereignty expanded through kūmara research trials, seed-saving workshops and community food forest planning, while ongoing engagement with rangatahi highlighted gaps in mental health support and the need for services built on long-term connection and cultural belonging.
Healthy Families Rotorua also deepened its work with hapū māmā, gathering lived experience to better understand where maternity support in Rotorua is working and where improvements are needed.
Jenny says these local initiatives reflect the broader shift toward community-led systems change.
“When whānau are supported to shape the solutions themselves, the results are stronger, more sustainable and far more meaningful. These kaupapa show what’s possible when mātauranga Māori sits at the centre and the community leads,” she says.
The year also saw the completion of the Horohoro School asphalt bike track, the strengthening of Matariki hautapu activities led by Ngāti Whakaue, and the continued development of kai, movement and wellbeing kaupapa across the city.
Jenny says the organisation was grateful for the people who helped drive the work.
“We’re proud of what has been achieved this year, but none of it happens in isolation. We acknowledge our community champions and kaupapa partners whose mahi inspires and strengthens us all,” she says.
