Building engagement and empowerment
Mana Wāhine Week 2025 lit up Tāmaki from 28th September to 3rd October 2025, bringing together hundreds of wāhine for six days of wānanga, creativity, movement, healing, and connection. We were so excited to reignite the flame of our previous Mana Wāhine kaupapa, and what started as an idea quickly became a powerful reminder of …
Continue reading "A Celebration of Strength, Storytelling, and Sisterhood"
Change Agents Jo Flavell and Ren Joe obtained a small amount of funding to create a few sessions for local māmā who wanted to connect and kōrero about the journey that is motherhood. Thank you to the John Illot Charitable Trust for the funding to make this HEART / Rākau Tautoko kaupapa happen. There was …
Our Love Food Hate Waste 2024 project consisted of four workshops with a group of local Home Educated whānau. The workshops were inclusive for all ages and interactive so as to have the participants actively learning alongside each other. Each workshop consisted of sharing tips and tricks on how to save money, eat better and …
Today was a seed raising workshop at Faith Family Church hall, we had 13 adults and 5 children attend and it all went very well. I had a list of things I wanted to get through in this workshop but as always like to be guided by the participants' questions and interests. Thrown in today …
Continue reading "Seed Raising Workshop with Tricia from The Patchwork Gardens"
As a team we think it's super important for everyone to be heard and have their say on the Treaty Principles Bill. Late 2024 the Toitū Te Tiriti march was massive and Aotearoa saw many of our people stand up for what we believe is right! We now need to follow that up with submissions …
First stop was in newish apartments to see Rachel. She has a shared space outside her home in a block of apartment type housing and is renting to buy. She has spoken to others and has generated some interest which is great. She spoke as if whatever goes in she will share. On her balcony …
First was Sirikit, she is keen to get growing. Siri picked a place that is a shared space between herself and her neighbour but is also central to the other apartment dwellers and is happy to share. Next I visited Jordan. She has been trying to grow things in tiny pots and felt a failure. …
Continue reading "Rachel’s in raptures over how much kai has come out of her garden"
Today started with two chicken deliveries. We set up at Marie's first who was out of her tree excited at finally getting her own hens. Area was set up and ready and the hens immediately looked comfortable. Their wings had been clipped already and I showed her & Rick how to do this if it's needed. …
Today's workshop was a little bit different, we had a group of our beautiful whānau come together that have been on our garden and chicken mentoring programmes. We shared challenges and aspirations, problem solved together and celebrated our achievements so far on this journey. These whānau have now completed their mentoring time and will continue on …
My first call today was Evelyn who is a grandmother to 12, 5 of whom she raised herself. She showed me her gardening efforts from years ago which was now a mess of overgrown grass and noxious weeds. She also showed me poroporo and explained they add the young leaves to boil up, but once …
Rākau Tautoko 