Tuesday 4 December 2018

End of year celebration for hapu wananga at Apumoana Marae

A whakanuia (celebration) is planned for 11 December at Apumoana Marae for all māmā (mothers), papa (fathers) and whānau who have come through the hapu wananga held in Rotorua in the second half of this year.

The Kia Wana Lakes Baby Service started its hapu wananga programme in late June, to provide advice and support around pregnancy, birthing and breastfeeding, with a particular focus on Māori tikanga (customs) and traditional practices. The wananga or course runs over two days aiming to provide an enviroment that is welcoming and makes it easier for the whole whānau to take part.

Amy Wray of the Lakes Baby Service says they hope to have around 100 people attending the end of year 11 December celebration day at Apumoana Marae, 27 Tarawera Rd, Rotorua. The activities will run from 11am to 2pm.

Contracted service providers invited to the day include Tipu Ora, Plunket, Korowai Aroha, Ngati Pikaio, Parent Centre, lead maternity carers, Sports BoP, Community Oral Health Service, La Leche, Flourishing Families and Breastscreen Aotearoa.

Other activities of interest on the day will be mini photography services, live music, mirimiri for adults and babies, raranga, car set installations or checks and fitness sessions.

The team is looking to organise some sponsorship and giveaways for the day and to have contracted health providers and others providing services around the birth of a baby present at the day.

Background information about hapu wananga at Rotorua

The hapu wananga held monthly are designed to promote and empower māmā/papa and whānau to have healthy and happy pregnancies and a healthy start for baby that will last a lifetime.

“We want to have partners and family members feeling fully involved in the learning process and we try to achieve this by delivering the content in a way that is fun and relevant to them as well as the mothers. The content of the wananga is underpinned by a Māori world view and our traditional practices,” said Amy Wray.

Each monthly wananga has guest speakers who deliver key messages and provide unique input into the classes, for example, yoga, mirimiri, stop smoking services.

The hapu wananga curriculum also includes:

• Starting with powhiri ( Māori welcome), karakia (prayers) and whakawhanaungatanga (introductions and relationship building).
• Exploring and discussing traditional Māori birthing and parenting practices such as ipu whenua, making muka tie, cutting the cord, karakia, oriori (lullabies) and rongoa Māori (Māori medicine)
• Safe Sleep will be a key component of the course and pepi pods and wahakura will be distributed to participants who attend the full course.

Referrals into the hapu wananga are through:
 The Kia Wana Lakes Baby-Rotorua Facebook Page (Self referrals)
 Calling the 0800 lakes baby phone 0800 525 372
 Filling in tick box referral form found at LMC/GP clinics.


For more information contact Amy Wray 
Or mb 027 405 2822