Why Ora

02/02/2026

Our taiohi are back at kura!

The year is already underway, and we’re excited to see everyone diving into new learning, new challenges, and new opportunities. We’re excited to walk alongside you on your haerenga and can’t wait to see all the incredible things you’ll achieve this year!

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!

30/01/2026

Kia ora whānau,

In case you missed our Quarterly Newsletter - Issue 30. Take a look in the link below.

Our full Newsletter for Raumati 2025: https://www.whyora.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Why-Ora-Quarterly-Newsletter-Issue-30-2025-FINAL.pdf

30/01/2026

As one of our Kaiārahi, Jazz heads off on parental leave, we just wanted to say a huge thank you for everything you’ve given to Why Ora so far. Your mahi, care, and dedication to our taiohi hasn't gone unnoticed, and we’re so grateful for the impact you’ve made!

Now it’s time to slow down, enjoy these precious moments with your whānau, rest, and soak up all the memories that come with welcoming your second pēpi!

We can’t wait to have you back with us in 2027, but until then, we hope you and Graham enjoy this beautiful new chapter of your lives 💛

Our Kaiārahi Liahna and Jen have some big boots to fill as they step in to manaaki the taiohi and whānau that Jazz has so beautifully supported to date.

29/01/2026

✨ Keep an Eye Out! Our Kaiārahi Are Coming to Your Kura Soon! ✨

Our kaiārahi will be visiting Kura over the next few weeks to begin our initial whakawhanaunga sessions. This is an important opportunity for us to build meaningful connections, enabling us to best support you and your haerenga throughout the year.

Stay tuned we’re looking forward to reconnecting and starting the year strong!

20/01/2026

Introducing our final kaiārahi for 2026! 🌿
We'd like to introduce our last two dedicated kaiārahi who bring heart, experience, and passion to support our taiohi in Kura.

Welcoming back Liahna Smith!
We’re so excited to have Liahna return to the Why Ora whānau! This year she’ll be supporting ākonga in the following kura:
📍 Waitara High School
📍 Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls
📍 Ōpunake High School
Ka mau te wehi, Liahna - awesome to have you back i tēnei tau!

Re-introducing Rory Maxwell
We’re stoked to have his energy and commitment returning to the following Kura:
📍 Francis Douglas Memorial College
📍 New Plymouth Boys’ High School

We can’t wait to see all the magic these kaiārahi will bring into their Kura and communities this year.

20/01/2026

Meet Our Kaiārahi for 2026! 🌟
This week we’re excited to re-introduce three of our dedicated kaiārahi who’ll be supporting our taiohi across Taranaki Kura this year.

First up: Tane Whitehead!
Tane will be bringing his leadership and energy to work with these Kura:
📍 Coastal Taranaki
📍 Spotswood College
📍 Inglewood High School

Next: Jenny Williams!
Jenny will be empowering our young people to thrive within the following Kura:
📍 New Plymouth Girls’ High School
📍 Sacred Heart Girls’ College
📍 Whaimana Ako Teen Parent Unit
✨ PLUS she’ll be leading our Hoki Mai ki Why Ora Programme

And lastly: Graham Jones!
Graham will be bringing his experience and passion to work with these Kura:
📍 Pātea Area School
📍 Te Paepae o Aotea
📍 Stratford High School

We’re super excited to get into these kura this year and continue to hāpai our taiohi, whānau, and communities. Mauri tū, mauri ora!

14/01/2026

Today we’re celebrating our incredible kotiro from New Plymouth Girls’ High School, alongside our amazing CE, Tanya Anaha all proudly representing the Taranaki Outrigger Canoe Club as they head off to the Waka Ama Nationals in Waikato.

We’re so proud to see our kotiro thriving in these spaces, and just as proud to see our CE living our kaupapa seeing it in action.

Our team were able to share a little of the build-up to nationals and we loved it.

13/01/2026

NCEA Results are in! 🎓✨

A massive congratulations to all our seniors for the hard mahi you put in last year! No matter what your results look like, remember we’re always here to tautoko you on your haerenga!

Our kaiārahi will be reaching out soon, so keep an eye on your inbox! karawhiua!

13/01/2026

In case you missed it! The Grahams made headlines in the Daily News last year, and now they’re taking healthcare by storm!

Char started her journey as a physiotherapy assistant cadet and now works hands-on with patients. Her dad Joe made a bold career shift to become a Pouhāpai, supporting Māori whānau in hospital care. And now, younger sister Jahnae has joined the hauora pathway as an occupational therapy assistant cadet.

This isn’t just about jobs, it’s about whānau backing each other and chasing big dreams.

When Charl­ise Gra­ham decided to drop out of high school in year 13, she was too scared to tell her dad. So she enlis­ted the help of the team from Why Ora, who came to her home and chat­ted to her father, Joe Gra­ham. They also got her a cadet­ship...

08/01/2026

Iwi Scholarship Season is Here!

If you are a proud Taranaki Iwi uri, now is the time to apply for scholarships that can support your haerenga. Check out the details in the post below, and don’t hesitate to reach out to a kaiārahi if you need any manaaki or guidance with your application.

Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai - Nurture the seed, that it may blossom

07/01/2026

Kia ora e te whānau - we’re back! Ngā mihi o te tau hou!

Our Why Ora kaimahi have returned after a well-deserved Christmas break, refreshed and ready for an exciting year ahead. Over the holidays, they took time to re-energise, travel, spend quality time with whānau, and restore their hauora.

We’re looking forward to everything 2026 has in store for our Why Ora whānau. Bring on 2026!

E kore e ngaro he takere waka nui – The hull of a great waka will not be lost.

Pic: Why Ora Team Bonding 2025 - Waka Ama

22/12/2025

Why Ora - Yearly Recap 🎉
What an incredible year it’s been for Why Ora! From hosting our big annual programmes like Pūtaiao, Rapuara Ako, and Hauora, to connecting with whānau at hui, welcoming amazing new kaimahi into our tari, and representing as a rōpū at Koroneihana—we’ve truly embraced every opportunity to learn, grow, and give back.

We even wrapped up the year with our final Hoki Mai Wānanga, meeting taiohi and their whānau, and celebrated all our accomplishments with a hākari. 🥳

To top it off, we volunteered with Roderique Hope Trust for their giving tree initiative spreading aroha and smiles throughout our community. 💙

Here’s to an incredible year and an even brighter 2026! ✨