The last of our Whānau Ora Regional Hui has wrapped up in Rotorua where partners from across the Waiāraki and Ikaroa Rāwhiti regions gathered at Te Puia in Whakarewarewa over three days.
CE’s, Managers, Backbone Enablement Teams and Kaiārahi were able to connect and celebrate the Whānau Ora story.
The opening address on day one saw our Chair, Merepeka Raukawa-Tait talk about the future for Whānau Ora.
“Change is coming. We’ve come too far to go backwards. Today is a call to action for our partners and collectives to stand together and continue to be seen and heard. The work you are doing really makes a different to our whānau.”
Merepeka’s kōrero set the tone for the discussions that would unfold, highlighting the successes achieved within the collective and whānau stories showcasing the impact of our initiatives.
The closing day brought a powerful moment as Te Ururoa Flavell, Chair of Te Arawa Whānau Ora and previous Minister of Māori development and Whānau Ora from 2014 to 2017 gave an insightful opening address about the Whānau Ora movement.
“Whānau Ora is about restoring the essence of who we are and putting the vibrant traditions of our people at the heart of our whānau. Our responses must be to re-establish connections to who we are, re-establish connections to people and places and to reconnect with whakapapa – we are part of the effort to build our people.”
A vibrant marketplace and interactive workshops also served as a space for immersive discussions.
Wrapping up with an evening dinner, there was a collective determination to steer the course toward continued success for Whānau Ora in 2024.
