Te Pūtahitanga O Te Waipounamu Opens Fund To Support Māori Response To Omicron

Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu is today launching a new fund that will empower whānau across the South Island to design their own solutions to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. Applications for Te Pūtea Whakatere are open today, supported by Government funding announced last week to target the Māori response to Omicron.

“We are delighted to be able to direct this funding to Te Pūtea Whakatere, and give whānau the opportunity to create initiatives and resources that will address their specific needs,” says Helen Leahy, Pouārahi of Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu. “This approach is at the heart of Whānau Ora – placing whānau at the centre of the decision-making about their own future.”

Te Pūtea Whakatere is a fund that can be stood up in response to emerging needs or one-off events, changing its function in response to the circumstances. This round of Te Pūtea Whakatere is dedicated to supporting the Māori response to Omicron in Te Waipounamu and Wharekauri/Rēkohu/Chatham Islands.

“Particular emphasis in this fund is towards supporting mokopuna, tamariki and rangatahi to navigate this time. Another priority is tangata whaikaha (disabled peoples) and whānau living in rural communities. Mental health is also a specific focus of the fund.”

“Te Pūtea Whakatere works alongside our existing funds and programmes, allowing us to pivot quickly and navigate towards need as it arises,” says Ms Leahy. “In this instance, it allows us to connect this much-needed funding with the whānau and communities who can benefit most from it.”

Applications open today, and will close on 15 March 2022.

A similar opportunity is established for Whānau Ora Navigation Partners. The Innovation and Improvement fund also opens today and is targeted towards supporting initiatives that Whānau Ora partners consider will make the greatest difference in our communities to wrap support around our most vulnerable.

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