Organization Name: Mauri Tau Rongoā Poutiriao Program
Person Name: Mahinaarangi Smith
Location: Waipawa Heretaunga / Hawkes Bay
Poutiriao targets whānau who are struggling with mental health, addiction, depression, low self-esteem and self-worth issues from their personal and intergenerational experiences of trauma. This programme supports wahine recovery from trauma by teaching culturally based skill sets to build a healthy sense of identity and belonging as wahine Maori. The programme includes 3 noho marae overnight stays with 20 wahine. Follow up sessions are via zoom. Each noho focusses on a different aspect and builds on learning from the previous ones. Activities include learning and breaking down purakau, karakia, making pounamu earrings, identifying and harvesting rongoa,rongoa baths, making hygiene products and contemporary korowai to name a few. At the same time, facilitating discussions with wahine to build self-knowledge and self-mastery and teach coping mechanisms to help wahine remain engaged and connected with the kaupapa.
