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National | Child abuse

Save Our Tamariki, Save our Future campaign hits Gisborne streets

'Save our Tamariki, Save our Future' is a national campaign protesting against the child uplift practices of Oranga Tamariki.  Spokesperson for the Gisborne branch, Tuta Ngarimu says the aim to prevent traumatic child uplifting incidents taking place at all.

Ngarimu says that Oranga Tamariki needs to discontinue the process for the sake of both tamariki and their whānau.

“We don't want another incident like what happened in Hastings where that mama got stood over by the social workers and all that kind of stuff so we want to make sure that this mama and her pepi are safe and they're well supported.”

Over 20 towns from Kaikohe to Timaru are protesting this month in response to the practice, which involves social workers, police and support staff removing children from their whānau.

Ngarimu says “We're trying to look at that whole structure on how it's meant to be helping our whānau and everything is showing us now that it's not helping our whānau.”

The nationally-coordinated protest will take place on July 30.