A Christchurch mental health initiative is using programmes like weaving, clay work and others to support whānau in need in the community.
Purapura whetū has long stood as an avenue for struggling whānau to reconnect with all things Māori.
If the brain is unhealthy, so too is the body. The goal of this group is help people understand that, and to put an end to those illnesses.
It’s achieving that through Māoridom.
Purapura Whetū CE Karaitiana Tickell says the organisation offers services that mainstream mental health groups may be missing.
“When we’re talking about kaupapa Māori services, our general mainstream system is generally unaware of the details of what’s available. That’s an issue around consciousness raising, issues around resistance and there’s areas around levels of trust,” he says.
Purapura Whetū was first started in 2002, in Christchurch and it is enriched with Māori values within its walls.
Tickell says the service which has been available for the past two decades is fit for the community.
“Fast forward 20 years, we’ve found ourselves providing a broad range of services across multiple health and social service requirements. So, we’ve been able to provide services... ...from newborns to kaumātua, from mokopuna to tupuna.”
One of the clients, Pearl, says it’s clear to see a Māori world and the richness of its works.
“Getting access to Purapura whetū has been amazing, I’ve found a sense of belonging to something. A family outside of my own family and I’ve been taught how to love myself again,” she says.
Rātā Foundation support
Christchurch funding organization Rātā Foundation funded the moving of the service to a new location in Christchurch.
Rātā Foundation CE Leighton Evans says it’s a space where staff can cater to the needs of the community with a more accessible space.
“Our funding helps to provide equitable access to facilities and services in areas of need, which means Purapura Whetu can welcome whānau into a fit-for-purpose space and deliver their programmes, ensuring people in need get the right support when they need it,” he says.
“Staff and volunteers at Purapura Whetu are often on the front line of the response to mental health challenges in the community, and it is important they feel equipped to best serve whānau seeking assistance.”
According to Youth19 statistics, the positive well-being of young Māori declined by eight percent, and significant depressive symptoms increased by 14 percent
However, the staff of Purapura Whetū strongly believe their service is the right avenue to circumvent those statistics.
“So you have greeted the people, you’ve fed the people, you’ve thanked the people and you’ve farewelled the people. All of that falls under the auspice of ensuring that mana is upheld, aroha is practiced, we have ackowledged where the principles of tapu and noa play out, that we’ve exchanged in breath and experience and life. These are the elements that we’re looking for in the work we do,” Tickell says.