A collective of health providers from Canterbury and Auckland have been working together to support the Muslim community since the tragic events in March. Today members from the Muslim community and representatives from health providers gathered at Rehua Marae to overlook the already established dedicated services in Christchurch, which will be kaupapa Māori driven.
The memory of the devastation that hit their community 7 months ago is still raw.
Moving forward is what the Muslim community want to do, and this is a step towards that.
Bader Dokhan, a Purapura Whetu support worker says, "I'm from the Muslim community so I'm trying now to build the bridges between Māori and Muslim because what happened affected everyone here."
Proactive discussions are aiming to provide vital mental health support for those who suffer from trauma.
Karaitiana Tickell, Purapura Whetu Director says "Te tuatahi me whakaatu tēnei mea ki ngā whanau e pā mai ki tēnei mate tēra te tuatahi, a muri mai i tēra hei hoatu ngā mea oranga ki ngā mea katoa."
Dokhan says, "More than 112 families because we are talking about 91 between deceased and injured."
Lastly, Dokhan remains hopeful that a united future is on the horizon.
"Finally we're talking about one society living in NZ so if we are focusing on what we have in common rather than our differences. That's the best way to build society and community."
After today's hui, the wraparound mental health support for the Muslim community will continue to be available.