Hauora Taiwhenua Noho Marae

As part of Hauora Taiwhenua’s continuing commitment to improving the health of rural communities, the Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme’s final noho marae visit of 2022 will be taking place end of November to early December.

This visit will see Ngati Kuri welcome tertiary health students from all over Aotearoa New Zealand onto Takahanga Marae for a four-day stay running Monday November 28 to Thursday December 1.

Noho marae visits are an integral part of the Rural Health Careers Promotion Programme and offer the opportunity for students of health to engage with Māori health models and practices.

The students, who come from a wide range of health disciplines, will be exposed to traditional Māori hauora and wellbeing perspectives and techniques to enrich their own understanding and appreciation of Rongoā Māori.

School students from Kaikōura’s local kura will also visit Takahanga Marae to take part in interactive workshops hosted by tertiary students. These workshops are designed to encourage attending school students to consider rural health care as a career.

Our health students will also visit Te Hā o Te Ora and have conversations with hospital staff about the realities of working in a rural hospital setting and how the rural lifestyle and setting influences their work.

As well as discussing Māori hauora and wellbeing practices, Rongoā Māori, and the distinct and unique points of practicing rural health care in a Māori cultural setting, the students will also have the opportunity to experience the natural and cultural beauty of the surrounding Kaikōura area.

This noho marae is a special experience for the up-and-coming health professionals to listen and learn from others while also sharing their own experiences, knowledge, and skills to equip local rangatahi with the information they need to make decisions about pursuing a career in health or wellbeing.