Growing Sustainable Practices
Healthy Families Rotorua’s Nau Mai e Ngā Hua sustainable gardening workshops are connecting people with the whenua through practical, hands-on learning. In a world of increasingly pressing environmental challenges, these workshops offer timely solutions by blending mātauranga Māori with sustainable gardening techniques. Held at Maraeroa Mahinga Kai in Ōhinemutu, the series provides valuable skills in […]
Kapa haka impact
This year’s national secondary school kapa haka competition has revealed the significant impact of kapa haka on students, particularly those in kura kaupapa Māori or kura-ā-iwi. Healthy Families Rotorua systems innovator Te Raipine McLeod attended the 2024 Ngā Whakataetae Kura Tuarua in Nelson in June, where three Te Arawa kura competed. She interviewed rangatahi and […]
Matariki Heri Kai
This year’s Matariki theme is Matariki Heri Kai – or the Feast of Matariki. Kai being a connector of people helps to bring us together and what we have gathered for our shared feast speaks volumes about the unique places we come from. With Matariki Heri Kai in mind, Healthy Families Rotorua dived into its […]
Tukutuku strengthening unity
While creating a tukutuku panel to celebrate Matariki and Rotorua, the Healthy Families Rotorua team connected with their tīpuna and reinforced unity within themselves. Last week, the team participated in a tukutuku wānanga, as part of its Te Awhero programme designed to strengthen staff te reo Māori and tikanga competency. Master weaver and Te Arawa […]
Creating sustainable change
Kai Rotorua’s Te Rangikaheke Kiripatea (centre) with Kaharoa Community Maara kaitiaki, Amir and Astrid Namdari.
Community food forest
Healthy Families Rotorua is in the early stages of forming a collective with local iwi to spearhead the cultivation of food forests at marae, kura, and kohanga reo. Not only will this increase kai security within the community utilising a kai sovereignty approach, but it also has the potential to utilise local mātauranga in the […]
Healing through kūmara
Healthy Families Rotorua has embarked on a transformative journey of kai sovereignty, digging into the traditional cultivation and preservation of kūmara. After successfully propagating over 1,000 kūmara shoots, the team helped distribute the tupu throughout Te Arawa. Among the recipients was, *Haki, whose life was poised for a significant shift. Estranged from his whānau for […]
Volunteering for Kaumātua
Healthy Families Rotorua leveraged its network to help ensure the triumphant execution of this year’s Te Arawa Kaumātua Olympics, drawing on the collective power of community support. Lead systems innovator, Pirihira Whata, says when the call came out from kaumātua group Oranga Tinana o Ue leader, Dr Laurie Morrison, for volunteers for the Kaumātua Olympics, […]
Year of impact and collaboration
Healthy Families Rotorua’s year was marked by two distinctive phases: zoning in on our impact strategy for the first six months, followed by building team capability over the next six months. Manager, Jenny Kaka-Scott, says a highlight of 2023 was working across every key focus area of the Healthy Families NZ contract. “This year was […]
Kai survey results
In an effort to understand the kai experiences of our community, Healthy Families Rotorua conducted a survey among Rotorua residents.
