Whānau 4 Life!!!
Hutt Valley: Lower Hutt
Hoea te hoe kia taupātia te whakamomori ki ngā wai o Te Awakairangi.
Lower Hutt is the location of a suicide prevention kaupapa, raising awareness with whānau across their community. Past experiences within whānau means many in the area are trying to work through the impacts of suicide which have rippled through their community.
The Whānau 4 Life!! Kaupapa is ‘by whānau, for whānau’. This wānanga styled initiative, concentration is made upon connecting participants through whakawhanaungatanga and reflection activities.
Wānanga are run over 3 days and are held in an alcohol free and drug free environment. The wānanga organisers ensure a safe space for whānau to be present and share their korero as a part of working through issues and concerns that they may have.
Whānau are given the opportunity to experience a wide range of healing techniques, such as: rongoā Māori, Tā moko, whakapapa, te reo Māori and healing associated with identity and tupuna and to learn how these can be applied to healing their whānau. Reclaiming Te Reo Māori is a key aspect of wānanga in the rebuilding of strong and confident whānau. Waiata, mōteatea and karakia are learnt so whānau can move forward with a strong foundation, to carry them confidently through cultural activities. These taonga are tangible things they can pass on to strengthen future generations.
*This whānau initiative is proudly supported by Te Au (and Te Rau Ora) through the Māori Suicide Prevention Fund (2020-2021).
Rutu Aperira
Rutu’s dreams and aspirations come from lived experience following the tragic suicide of her 18year old brother, and she determined to do something to honour his memory and help raise awareness about suicide causations and risks.
August 3, 2022
