He Oranga Pounamu

The past year has been spent working with providers to consolidate activities. The provider hui at Hokitika in October 2008 confirmed the importance of providers coming together, sharing and learning to support each other and improve service delivery. Over the year the network continued to grow in number, validating the need for the network for providers. Alongside these activities, the regional based programmes in communities across the rohe continued to be delivered to a high standard, with high usage by whānau.

He Oranga Pounamu (HOP) continued to conduct research and advocate for Māori across the Ngāi Tahu rohe. Opportunities were taken to disseminate information to our various communities about relevant activities of the Crown, and in providing the focus for collective views of providers and communities for public and private agencies.

Invariably there were changes along the way. We farewelled Fiona Pimm as CEO, joining together with providers, community workers, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu staff, and others to recognise Fiona’s valuable contribution to advancing the health and well-being of Māori in Te Waipounamu.

At a governance level, the Board made relationship management its priority. A closer working relationship with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and the Office of Te Rūnanga was forged for the benefit of Ngāi Tahu Whānui. The Board also developed the next strategic plan where the focus will be on sharpening our backroom functions to support providers in their attempts to be more efficient and effective in the way they work to deliver high quality services to Māori within our rohe.

We have planned to take a results-based approach to measuring our contribution to whānau ora within our communities with this new strategic direction. We will know that we have been successful when our affiliated network is working collaboratively as one, when our whānau are enjoying good health and well-being, and when the futures of our tamariki and mokopuna are assured.

KMK

Corban Te Aika is confident te reo has changed his life.

Taking a break from his duties as a tutor in Te Reo Māori and Māori Indigenous Studies at Canterbury University, he talks about the power of language immersion and unquestionable benefits of attending Kotahi Mano Kāika's well-established te reo wanaka, Kā Pari Karakaraka and the inaugural Kura Reo Kāi Tahu held at Te Rau Aroha Marae in Bluff in July. [More...]