Organization Name: Ropiha Whānau Kia Tū Tahi Tātou
Person Name: Matire Ropiha
Location: New Plymouth / Ngāmotu Taranaki
This is a programme of whānau wānanga to teach our uri tools to manage their mental wellbeing and prevent suicide. Tragically, there is a family history of suicide on both our male and female lines. Kia Tu Tatou is aimed at our future generations, our nieces, and especially our nephews. We intend to hold three separate wānanga using the Te Whare tapa Whā framework, focussing on whakapapa and whānau connectedness. Using this we will seek to instill pride and mana into our wairua, hinengaro, tinana and whānau, celebrating our tupuna and reconnecting our uri with whakapapa, turangawaewae and acknowledging uri as taonga.
Korero, whānau hikoi and kai will be our tools to teach our uri how to understand the signs of suicide distress and mental unwellness. They will learn a range of communication skills to enable their voices to be heard, plus practical enabling strategies. Our whānau wānanga is the learning space to arm our uri with knowledge, skills, and support, to enable them to lift themselves from a place of darkness to walk the pathway to Te Ao Marama.
