Initiatives selected to receive Te Kawe Oraka funding
We are thrilled to announce the initiatives selected to receive funding through Te Kawe Oraka.
Following a competitive two-stage application process, Te Tauraki has selected 12 initiatives across three priority areas: maternal care; mental wellbeing support for rakatahi Māori; removing barriers to hauora services.
Together, these initiatives will receive more than $5 million in funding, with contracts beginning May 1 and delivery running through to June 30 next year.
Te Kawe Oraka is the name we have given this Other Whānau Initiatives funding. It refers to the tools, resources, and provisions carried to enhance whānau hauora. This reflects our commissioning approach, Whiria te Tuamaka, which recognises that whānau hold their own strengths and solutions. This funding provides the tools to unlock them.
“We asked for bold initiatives that could make a real difference for whānau, and the response was positive,” says Te Tauraki (Acting) Kaihautū Tanith Petersen.
“The initiatives selected show communities using their knowledge to address gaps and try new ways of working that support whānau wellbeing. We’re proud to stand alongside communities leading their own paths to healthier lives.”
She says Te Tauraki congratulates all successful recipients and is looking forward to seeing these initiatives create lasting change for whānau across Te Waipounamu.
The initiatives
Taurite Tū | Taurite Tū Ltd | Nelson/Tasman/Marlborough
Originally developed as a culturally grounded falls-prevention programme for ageing Māori, Taurite Tū has evolved into a broader Whānau Ora-aligned model supporting cardiovascular health, mental wellbeing, and social connectedness. Funding supports expansion into Takaka, Blenheim, and Wharekauri/Rēkohu, as well as Social Return on Investment research to support sustainable future funding.
Te Manu Oraka | Manu Ora Limited | Marlborough
A pilot programme at Manu Ora built around three pou: mental health and wellbeing clinics addressing unmet needs including undiagnosed conditions such as ADHD; rokoā and evening clinics creating space for grief, trauma, and disconnection; and kaumatua fast access clinics providing holistic care for kaumātua managing complex hauora challenges.
Māmā & Pēpi Programme | Maataa Waka Ki Te Tau Ihu | Marlborough
A comprehensive programme supporting māmā through pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period, while nurturing the wellbeing of their pēpi and wider whānau. Delivered through wānanga, structured hui, one-to-one support, and wraparound care for māmā experiencing anxiety or postnatal challenges.
He Rei Kā Niho | Kaitiaki Niho and Awarua Whānau Services partnership | Southland
An ambitious oral health initiative for Southland whānau, including in-clinic assessments and mobile outreach dental clinic days at marae, kōhaka reo, kura, and community venues to deliver urgent and preventative treatment directly into communities where access has historically been limited.
Hauora ki uta hauora ki tai | Ōnuku Rūnanga Inc | Canterbury
A mobile health clinic service visiting four marae across the Banks Peninsula, with a strong focus on prevention through immunisations and health screenings. The initiative also provides transport support to help rural whānau attend specialist and follow-up appointments.
Tūruki Ora | Ngā Kete Mātauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust | Southland
Kaupapa Māori health and social services delivered from a 10-acre lifestyle block in Southland. Services include drug and alcohol assessments, oral hygiene treatment, art therapy, and practical skills development on the whenua – a holistic environment for healing and growth.
Te Tūhononga Hauora | Te Ora Hou Ōtautahi | Canterbury
A mobile and place-based hauora service for rakatahi and whānau in Canterbury, adding three primary and mental health professionals to complement the existing youth worker team at Te Ora Hou. The initiative will deliver school and community clinics and provide transport and advocacy support for rangatahi navigating health appointments.
Te Tūhono Rangatira | Te Rūnanga o Ngā Maata Waka Incorporated | Canterbury
A marae-based leadership pathway for disengaged rakatahi, delivered across three cohorts of 12-week wānanga. The programme strengthens cultural identity through tikaka, emotional regulation, and leadership development, alongside vocational exploration and wraparound whānau support.
Te Awhi Rito | Te Hā o Maru Limited | Otago, Central Otago, South Canterbury
A mana whenua-led service in Waitaki weaving together wānaka, rokoā, and support to strengthen maternal health and rakatahi mental wellbeing. Covering the journey from pre-conception through to 18 years of age, wānaka will explore sacred birthing knowledge, the roles of wāhine and tāne, and building resilience and secure attachment in tamariki.
Ruku Ora | Te Hou Ora Whānau Services Limited | Southland, Otago, Central Otago, South Canterbury
An inter-generational programme restoring culturally grounded pathways for safe kai gathering through diving. Alongside a mobile wānanga trailer and app providing Mātauraka Māori-informed guidance on preparation and safety, the initiative reconnects whānau to the sea, to each other, and to environmental kaitiakitaka.
Kia Rite | Harper Hapori Consulting Limited | South Canterbury, Canterbury
Improving access to care by placing clinical monitoring tools – including blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters, and heart rate devices – directly in whānau hands. Hauora Kaiārahi coaches will support whānau to understand their own data, know their normal, and seek help before issues escalate.
Aroha Bikes | Te Hou Ora Whānau Services Limited | Otago, Central Otago
Using bicycles as a vehicle for rangatahi agency, skill-building, and connection. Rakatahi recover bikes from refuse streams, restore them, and redistribute them free of charge to people in need all while receiving mentoring, education, and support transitioning into employment.