A Waikato charity that provides support to nearly 700 kaumātua will collaboratively launch three innovative resources for seniors this coming week at Parliament.
Hamilton-based Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust’s housing, social enterprise and wellbeing resources, which are the result of years of collaboration and research, will be officially unveiled by Minister for Seniors, Casey Costello, on Wednesday in Wellington.
Rauawaawa CEO, Rangimahora Reddy, said the charity is excited to share them with the rest of the country.
“These tools are designed to address the specific needs of our kaumātua and holistically support their wellbeing,” Reddy said Sunday.
The resources are:
He Kainga Pai Rawa – Kaumātua Housing Toolkit 2
A toolkit which provides a kaumātua and whānau approach to housing, featuring case studies from the Awarua build near Bluff and the Enderley Intergenerational Village in Hamilton.
Funded by the Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities National Science Challenge, this initiative is a collaboration between Rauawaawa, Te Rūnanga o Kirikiriroa, Te Rūnaka o Awarua and the University of Waikato.
He Tohu Aroha: Whatua te Korowai mo ngā Kaumātua
This kaumātua-led toolkit shares learnings from the Kuki Reka Kani cookie cutter social enterprise journey, in which unique cookie cutters were created to imprint modern Māori designs onto dough to help kaumātua with dementia connect with their culture through cooking therapy in a social and fun way.
This project is a collaboration of Rauawaawa, the University of Waikato and Te Rūnanga o Kirikiriroa.
Piki te Ora: Kaumātua Fit Kit
This initiative focuses on enhancing the physical wellbeing, mobility, and strength of kaumātua, utilising both Māori and Pacific approaches.
Funded by the Ageing Well National Science Challenge, the project is a collaboration between Rauawaawa and the University of Waikato.
Reddy said the charity looks forward to the potential the resources can bring to other communities that decide to use them.
“The launch of these resources marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance the lives of kaumātua.”
