Whānau are set to have improved access to Rongoā Māori in Hutt Valley after a partnership this week between the largest Rongoā Māori provider in the Wellington region and a leading primary care network.
Rongoā Māori provider, Manawa Ora Mirimiri and Workshops, and Hutt Valley’s Te Awakairangi Health Network signed one of the first comprehensive partnerships within the subregion on Tuesday.
The memorandum of understanding between them marks an important step forward in their strategic vision to improve the health outcomes of whānau Māori within the Hutt Valley through improved access to Rongoā Māori, they said Friday evening.
Manawa Ora managing director Jolie Davis (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kuri) says a lot of voluntary time and effort has gone into advocating for Rongoā Māori to help improve whānau wellbeing.
“This partnership will help to grow Rongoā Māori in the region and achieve health outcomes for whānau in the Hutt Valley.
“Te Awakairangi is really keen to get started. They understand how much work we’ve been doing over the last five years, a lot of voluntary hours with limited funding, advocating for Rongoā Māori and making treatment accessible to our communities and whānau in need.
“We’re excited to enter the next phase of growth - this partnership is an important step in the journey.”
Te Awakairangi Health Network general manager services, Carrie Henderson, says it’s an opportunity to share knowledge and improve health outcomes for whānau.
The partnership “recognises that we each bring unique knowledge and skills so that together we can achieve greater outcomes,” she says.
The partnership includes:
° Education, training and experiences for the primary care health workforce and whānau connected to the Hutt Valley, to increase their understanding of Rongoā Māori and wellbeing from a cultural perspective;
° Regular weekend community clinics to bring mirimiri and romiromi (traditional Māori healing and bodywork) to the Hutt communities; and
° Funded referrals to the Manawa Ora clinic in Ngauranga for whānau in need and not on ACC.