Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga has been tending to the needs of its community in Ngāti Kahungunu since the devastating floods that struck the region two weeks ago.
Te Taiwhenua has been leading in help and assistance for the community and chief executive Waylyn Tahuri says the help it has received also, has been overwhelming.
“We have cabinet ministers ringing up and asking us, Whānau Ora's John Tamihere is ringing up and asking How are you going? What do I need to do? What help can I give?' And other providers are doing the same.”
Over the past two weeks Te Taiwhenua has been distributing over 1200 welfare packs to over 170 homes, reaching more than 1100 whānau in Hawke's Bay.
“People are very generous, so you learn about who’s generous and who's doing other things, so the generosity of our community is amazing. And it's not only from our community. We just had a carload of stuff arrive from Blenheim. People ring up and say 'we want to give to the Taiwhenua.”
The mahi continues to clean up the devastated regions.
Marae mahi
Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga covers 14 marae across Ngāti Kahungunu and the role of Te Taiwhenua is distributing what is needed in those areas, Tahuri says.
“The main mahi is done in the marae, we have board members in each marae. So we get to know some of the needs first-hand being communicated to us, so the first mahi and the first response is from our marae, our hapū and our whānau, and then, after that, that's when we kick in.”
Tahuri says the bonds they have made with local service providers and others have been developed since Covid-19 entered the country almost three years ago. He says these bonds are ones that keep the distribution possible for Taiwhenua.
“Over the past three years, we're coming up to that March 23 anniversary, when things closed down in 2020. The local relationships and the support we give each other has been amazing.”
“So we're here and we're looking after the welfare needs and wellness needs of whānau in the community.”