Patua te Taniwha : Building resilience through community events (Rotorua).

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Patua Te Taniwha Charitable Trust

Rotorua: Waiariki

Rere ana ngā wai o Rotorua, o Te Arawa waka, ki ngā tai whakahiki i te ngākau o te iwi.

Patua Te Taniwha Charitable Trust aims to connect, guide and support hapori, whānau, hapū and iwi to raise suicide prevention awareness. Through organizing community events (held annually), they aim to stop the silence and stigma around suicide and build resilience within the community to be able to find strength when times get difficult.

Patua Te Taniwha Charitable Trusts key focus areas are to organize events that promote hauora wellness and whakahiki ngākau.  They truly believe that a multi-angled approach, especially through these events, is an effective approach to connecting, uplifting and supporting Māori whānau, hapū and iwi.

 Events held this year included:

  1. Waiata In The Pā;
  2. Xmas In The Wai;
  3. Hoe 4 Life;
  4. Ride 4 Life;
  5. Healing Wānanga for whānau bereaved by suicide;

1. Waiata in the Pā – October 10 2020

Patua Te Taniwha Charitable Trust worked in partnership with Waiteti Marae with the aim to unite whānau, hapū and iwi utilizing waiata and highlighting rangatahi.

  1. Xmas In The Wai – December 5 2020

This event is a whānau day celebrating tamariki and was held at the local Rotorua Aquatic Centre.

  1. Hoe 4 Life  – February 13 2021

Hoe 4 Life was held at Waikawau (Hannah’s Bay) Rotorua. This kaupapa teaches whānau Tikanga and basic skills of traditional Hoe Waka while connecting to the wai (water) and with each other.

  1. Ride 4 Life – March 13 2021

Ride for Life is a motorcycle awareness ride, where participants travel from Rotorua to Murupara, Kawerau and Maketu. This kaupapa brings (mostly) tāne Māori together, people travelled to Rotorua from areas such as Paraparaumu, Gisborne, Opotiki, Matata, Auckland, Hamilton and in between.

  1. Healing Wānanga for whānau bereaved by Suicide – March 26-28 2021

Patua Te Taniwha worked in partnership with fellow bereaved whānau Jane Stevens and Suzy Taylor to hold this Wānanga, the purpose was an opportunity for healing, connections, developing collective voices, awhi and advocacy. Whānau travelled to Rotorua from as far as Porirua, Hawkes Bay, Whanganui, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty.

Patua Te Taniwha events are aimed at empowering, celebrating and connecting people with each other.  Reinforcing within everyone a sense of worth and purpose.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/patuatetaniwha/

Organisation: Patua Te Taniwha

*This Iwi initiative is proudly supported by Te Au (and Te Rau Ora) through the Māori Suicide Prevention Fund (2020-2021).

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