Mana o te Tangata Trust

27/11/2025

Mana o te Tangata Trust – Team Building at Makoura Lodge

What an incredible day spent together at Makoura Lodge. Stepping away from our everyday mahi gave us the chance to breathe, reflect, and reconnect as a team and as a whānau.

From the laughter and kōrero to the peaceful moments in nature, the day was filled with genuine connection and kotahitanga. It reminded us of the strength that comes from unity, the kind of strength that carries us through our kaupapa and the important work we do for our communities.

Our activities weren’t just about fun (though there was plenty of that!) they helped us build trust, deepen relationships, and refuel our wairua. Watching everyone show up with openness, heart, and generosity was truly special.

Grateful for every moment shared and every member of our Mana o te Tangata whānau.
Let’s carry this wairua forward into the mahi ahead.

Nga mihi Leilani Maraku

23/11/2025

Kia Ora Whanau!
We had two events on Friday in Horowhenua.
The first was the celebration of International Mens day, where we collaborated with HALT (Horowhenua Abuse Liaison Team). We held the event at our whare here in Levin and HALT provided free bacon and egg sandwiches for everyone who came along, there were full tummies and good korero. Our second event was the Muaupoko Tribal Authority Hauora day where all our local services came together for the community event. Both events were successful and amazing for our tangata and our Horowhenua kaimahi did an outstanding job.

09/11/2025

Kia Ora Whanau,

We had 2 tangata whaiora participate over the weekend in the Feilding Marathon held by the Feilding “MOA” harriers club. It was an awesome day where our tangata whaiora Dylan Strongman competed in the 21km run and finished with a time of 2 minutes 20 seconds which is a great achievement. We also had Daniel Chalk enter his first event the 5km run in which he did amazing. We also had 2 tangata whaiora supporting their peers throughout the day James Brown and Shane Karepa. What an awesome day for the Te Whare Waimanawa Team. Thank you also to our kaimahi Anthony Dyer for supporting the team and been a pillar of strength throughout the day.

08/11/2025

Hauora hinengaro: He ara tūroa - Mental Health: An Enduring Pathway
Waenga mōrearea: He ara oranga : Amidst crisis and distress there are pathways to wellbeing.

This conference provided the opportunity to bring together a forum of national and international experience and expertise including te ao Māori, lived/living experience, clinical, funder and systems thinking perspectives.

It was a privilege to be able to attend this collaboration alongside other lived experience organisations and speakers to discuss the continued challenges of accessing the right support at the right time when someone is experiencing a crisis. MP Matt Doocey expressed his strong interest in improving crisis responses and has initiated sector developments to support this improvement.

The purpose of coming together was to discover where system improvement has already occurred, what is currently underway, and how we can work together to be a part of a better collective crisis response. Many organisations spoke on what was working well within their communities, with MP Matt Doocey also mentioning our very own Crisis Café – Te Puna Wai.

04/11/2025

Kia Ora Whanau,

We as a Team from Mana o te Tangata Trust had the privilege to represent our Organisation at the recent Iron Maori event in Napier where we had a Team enter the event which consisted of a 1km swim (Kalwyn), 50km bike ride (Johnny) and a 10.5km run/walk (Fern) the Team completed the event and it was some great character building throughout the event. The Team trained hard for the event leading up to Iron Maori and had a strong desire to represent their tangata whaiora, Organisation, communities and whanau. Also, at the event we had other kaimahi entered in the walk/run of the event Teneal, Mel Reiri, Natalie Bromley and our Gerry on the 50km cycle leg of the race. It was a great event that encompassed our values here at Mana o te Tangata Trust Manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga and just taking in the amazing atmosphere of people from all ethnicities and cultural backgrounds all coming together to promote better Hauora. Our goal is “be inspired to inspire, be encouraged to encourage” and that is what we try and do daily for our tangata whaiora through action and being the role models, we need to be to help them on this journey of better Hauora.

I would like to take this time to acknowledge our Manukura Leilani Maraku for her unwavering support throughout this Kaupapa this year and her kind and encouraging words before entering the event which made us push hard to complete the event. I would also like to thank our whanau, colleagues and friends that supported us on this journey to Iron Maori 2025. Most importantly I would like to acknowledge our tangata whaiora that we try to inspire daily in Te Whare Waimanawa to better their own Hauora and I hope that our journey to Iron Maori inspires you all too. Hauora ki te ao.

27/10/2025

Gurumba Bigi from Meanjin (Brisbane)!

Our team had the privilege of attending the 5th Indigenous Wellbeing Conference (IWC25) — a truly powerful gathering celebrating Indigenous community, culture, and identity across First Nations Australia, Aotearoa, and the Pacific.

Over the past few days, we’ve connected with inspiring leaders, Elders, and community members who shared wisdom on cultural healing, youth empowerment, community resilience, and caring for Country.

We’re leaving IWC25 feeling energised, grounded, and inspired by the many Indigenous-led solutions shaping a flourishing future for our peoples.

05/10/2025

It's Mental Health Awareness Week whānau 💚

01/10/2025

Kia ora whānau, check out this upcoming event that Mana o te Tangata will be attending, led by the Pou Arataki Team of Lisa, Dawn and Te Rou 🌟 We hope to see you there!

27/09/2025

A big mihi to the Minister for acknowledging the mahi we do 🌟

As a big supporter of peer support workers in mental health, it was great to visit the Crisis Café in Palmerston North – Te Puna Wai. I met with the incredible staff who showed they know their communities well and are making a massive difference for those who are in need of support.

I have been calling peer support the silent revolution because I think as we are seeing an increase of the roles around the country, I can see the real life impact they are making for people. The team at Te Puna Wai are a great example.

27/09/2025

Friday, we were honoured to host Minister Matt Doocey at Te Puna Wai Café. The Minister acknowledged our service as an exemplar for Crisis Cafés, recognising the aroha, safety, and non-judgemental space our team and tangata kōrero have created together.

We are especially grateful for the strong partnership with Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand ensuring our mahi is supported through trusted relationships and shared commitment to wellbeing. Maintaining and strengthening these partnerships is vital in working together for our whānau and community.

Ngā mihi to our kaimahi and community for building a foundation that truly supports wellbeing and belonging. Thank you also to Paul Oxnam (Te Whatu Ora Health NZ – Regional Director Mental Health & Addictions), Leanne Fisher, National Chief Mental Health and Addictions(Te Whatu Ora Health NZ), Karla Bergquist (National Director, Specialist Mental Health & Addiction, Te Whatu Ora), Matt Carter (Clinical Nurse Manager Te Whatu Ora Health NZ), for joining us in this special moment.

He waka eke noa – we are all in this together.

26/09/2025

Te Kete Pounamu Māori Lived Experience Symposium

Celebrating 10 Years of Te Kete Pounamu

This week we gathered for the Te Kete Pounamu Māori Lived Experience Symposium, honouring a decade of mahi, advocacy, and lived experience leadership in Hauora Hinengaro (mental wellbeing) and AOD (alcohol and other drug) recovery.

For 10 years, Te Kete Pounamu has been a powerful collective voice for tāngata Māori, uplifting whānau across Aotearoa through advocacy, whanaungatanga, and a steadfast commitment to healing, equity, and hope.

We acknowledge the incredible journey taken, made possible by the courage, aroha, and dedication of so many. From cultural and clinical leadership to lived experience-informed solutions, this kaupapa continues to thrive and inspire change.

A special mihi to the many voices and leaders who shared their kōrero, including:

🟢 Wiremu Nia Nia – Cultural Therapy, bridging traditional healing and psychiatry

🟢 Rikki Solomon – Integrating Maramataka Māori into health and wellbeing

🟢 Kerri Butler – Founder of Take Notice, and a driving force behind lived experience leadership

🟢 Rose Heta – Mommy of six, Indigenous Peer Facilitator, in recovery for over 10 years, and currently completing her Doctorate in Indigenous Knowledge with Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa who have walked alongside Te Kete Pounamu over the past decade. Here’s to the next chapter of collective action, healing, and transformation.

26/09/2025

Mana o te Tangata Trust – 10 Year Anniversary

On Friday, 19th September, we had the privilege of celebrating 10 years of Mana o te Tangata Trust alongside our incredible tangata whaiora.

The day was filled with mana, joy, and connection — uplifted by the powerful sounds of waiata Māori and the energetic beats of Mana Beatz.

We want to acknowledge and thank all our tangata whaiora for being at the heart of our journey. Your strength, resilience, and aroha inspire everything we do.

He mihi maioha ki a koutou katoa – here’s to the next decade of walking together in mana, aroha, hope and whanaungatanga.