This week I caught up with our Addictions team here at Nga Kete to ask them what it was like supporting whanau over the phone throughout COVID-19 Alert Levels 3 and 4.


The team spoke about flexibility, adapting to the COVID-19 environment, and supporting whanau in any way they could – the Nga Kete way.


Service manager Wendy Ellis said throughout Alert Level 4 the team would meet weekly – just like business as usual – but rather than meeting around the board table, they’d meet in front of the computer screen on Zoom.


New referrals continued to be processed and contact made where possible.


The team certainly kept busy throughout Alert Levels 3 and 4, maintaining contact with their clients by phone and organising food parcels and script deliveries where required.


The team say there were mixed responses when it came to how the clients adapted to the “new normal”, some were struggling and feeling isolated and others took the opportunity to self-reflect during lockdown.


While there was heightened anxiety around the unknowns “most took the opportunity to exercise, eat and sleep well, and spend time with family.”


The team is busy gearing up for a return to face-to-face engagements with clients, ensuring safe seating and social distancing.
Nga Kete’s second floor is open again to the public this week between 10am-3pm, and will resume normal hours next week.
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- Nicci Fowler, Media & Marketing

Story by the Otago Daily Times
https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/connection-culture-vital-wellbeing

With every passing generation, rangatahi (younger people) are at risk of moving further and further away from tikanga Maori. Southland’s Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Trust has launched a service to allow those who have experienced or been impacted by drugs and alcohol to reconnect with their culture, rediscover who they are and find healing. Abbey Palmer talked with those behind Te Waka Tuhono.

​Described by her colleagues as "the vision" behind Te Waka Tuhono, Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Trust founder Tracey Wright-Tawha says the "excellence and te ao Maori knowledge" of the programme’s leaders played a big part in getting 15 young Maori to graduation in Invercargill last week.

"They’re [leaders] planting the seed for change, igniting the flame for learning and providing a cultural framework for people to sort of grow into, that is innately who we are, that’s the magic of this programme."

Traditionally, addiction issues were dealt with by identifying there was a problem and linking the individual with a counsellor to work through those issues, Ms Wright-Tawha said.

Nga Kete recognised, for Maori whanau in particular, bringing about sustainable change came from connecting people back to who they were "in terms of their Maori self".

"When you consider that a number of whanau no longer speak te reo or are no longer involved in marae settings as such — whilst there is a cultural renaissance under way and renewed commitment to learning our ways and language, we also understand for many, there has been an erosion of learning and a loss or a breaking-down of the cultural fabric that holds us strong.
"We’ve decided to design and develop a service approach that restores that."

Manukura (leader) Joe and kaiawhina (assistant) Janette Clarke were part of the group who recently took rangatahi to Te Koawa Turoa o Takitimu, a 400 hectare restoration site managed by Oraka Aparima Runaka (Ngai Tahu).

There they hosted a hui with the whanau, and rangatahi engaged in a marae-based powhiri process before they set off on a camp.
Rangatahi were challenged with a range of activities aimed at building teamwork and connectivity, all through a cultural lens, including karakia (prayer), waiata (song), waka ama (outrigger canoe) and kapa haka.

Ms Wright-Tawha said the duo worked to instil "confidence and competence" in the participants in a cultural setting.
"Janette is the ultimate camp mother, she’s a carer and a nurturer and provides a wahine touch. Joe is a strong tane figure, young people see that and it’s like a magnet."

In Maori culture, people’s wellbeing was not singular and the whole family was taken on the journey, she said.

"We’ve had parents say, and this makes my heart sing, ‘you’ve given me my child back’ or ‘my boy is smiling again’."

For Mr Clarke, it was about having the ability to reconnect rangatahi to the whenua (land) — the lifeblood which sustained Maori, as it had for those who came before them and as it would for those who come after them, he said.

"We do not dilute our tikanga, our culture, we try and do it to the best of our ability every time. If it’s a waiata, it’s a waiata done with the upmost mana and respect that it deserves."

He recalled a conversation he had had with the parents of a young boy on the programme: "He went from not wanting to be here at all to putting his chin up and holding his head high at the table."

Mrs Clarke spoke of an experience she had with a young girl who had never finished the schooling system but wanted to be an air hostess.

"She said to me, ‘I’m gonna be the first one in my whanau to finish school whaea (term of respect for wahine/women)’."

Since starting back at school this year, she had not missed a single day, despite health complications, she said.

"It’s not a job to us, we live and breathe it and that’s what we are, we are here."

Programme counsellor Elton Hakopa, who provided one-on-one sessions for participants, said it was about making rangatahi believe in their potential and helping them to "unleash it".

"It’s a privilege to be a part of the team, we are all very in tune with each other.

"It’s an honour to be a part of their growth and to watch rangatahi flourish and bloom."

Christchurch-based Hemi Te Hemi’s role was to carry out an independent evaluation of the programme and use research to quantify the value and impact of the programme.

"We’ve captured some beautiful korero (conversation) and we want to be able to share the mana (spirit) of this programme nationally and internationally."

Te Waka Tuhono would take in its third group of rangatahi for the next programme which was due to start in late March.
Ms Wright-Tawha said the initiative would continue to be developed through guidance from a kaumatua (advisory/Maori leader) group.
"Te Waka Tuhono is an example of Maori led tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and an understanding and belief in our own ability to lead positive change for our whanau."

Ms Wright-Tawha said while during Lockdown Levels 3 and 4 the trust focused on providing its essential services, Te Waka Tuhono would be up and running again during Level 2.

"Under Level 2 where we can maintain social distancing and good hygiene and sanitising and so forth, we will move back into that programme."
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For more information about the Te Waka Tuhono, phone (03) 214 5260 or 0800 925 242.
abbey.palmer@odt.co.nz

Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu Charitable Trust is an essential service provider which has continued to operate under the Covid-19 Alert Level 4, and now Level 3.

We have continued to adapt in the COVID-19 Level 3 environment, operating in a similar way to that of Level 4 but with some more staff in the workplace and continuing to practice social distancing, and keeping to our appropriate staff zones.

Staff zones were established ahead of Level 3 and include red isolation zones, patient/green zones, and staff only green zones. We have reconfigured the GP waiting room and created separate areas for patients waiting and reduced our seating capacity. We have reduced face-to-face consultations by 70 per cent, which is the recommended national guideline. 
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We have dramatically stepped up with our cleaning. Every surface in the centre is cleaned at least three times a day and patients are encouraged to use hand sanitiser when they walk through the door.

Staff have been contacting elderly or isolated patients and completed wellbeing checks, prescriptions have been delivered to doorsteps as well as hygiene packages, kai packages and food cards and clothing.

We have so far made 918 kai deliveries, 457 wellbeing checks, 383 deliveries of medications, 33 deliveries of food cards and 1 clothing
delivery. We have also delivered about 1250 hygiene parcels, most of which were bulk deliveries to Hokonui Runanga, Awarua Whanau Services, Waihopai Runaka, Oraka Aparima Runaka, Tomairangi Marae, Mataura Marae, Nga Hau E Wha and Pacific Island Advisory and
Cultural Trust.

These deliveries are met with smiles and gratitude. We’ve heard comments such as “what a great, caring service,” “WOW!” and “this is a surprise”.

What a privilege it was this week to receive some lovely feedback via social media:
“There are truly some beautiful people in the world. Today I had a quick but lovely visit from a dear friend of ours. Greg Houkamau and Davina Jones, both of these precious people who work for and with Nga Kete Matauranga Pounamu, delivered to us some Kai and Cleaning Essentials. Mainly for our son who is with us and doing well. We can't thank you all enough. Totally unexpected but definitely thankful. These small acts of kindness from beautiful people is what keeps us all
going. Thank you again. Love and light everyone. Be kind, be safe.”

Our Addictions Service, Cancer Pathway support and Gambling Counselling staff are continuing to extend phone-based counselling and the Stop Smoking team continue to support people on their smoke free journey through phone conversations and product
drop-offs.

CEO Tracey Wright-Tawha says “Thank you to the community for your patience as we appreciate phone access, texting, zoom virtual meetings are taxing for many.”

“We are continuing to operate safely and flexible in Level 3 and restrict face-to-face contact.”

What to expect from us in Alert Level 2?
Heading into Alert Level 2 we will continue with our stepped up hygiene regime, maintain social distancing, ensure that in face-to-face work with whanau we create safe seating and social distancing in designated interview areas, and maintain the green and red zones in our building.
 
Any questions related to our services throughout COVID-19 please phone (03) 214 5260 or message us on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/nkmpt