Te Piki Oranga provides the national Whare Ora / Healthy Homes service to whānau in Te Tauihu. We aim to increase the number of children and whānau living in healthy homes. By doing this, we can prevent avoidable hospitalisations of whānau whose ill health is caused by cold, damp and mouldy housing.
From left: Teana Scoon (Whare Ora Pūkenga Manaaki), Rawinia Howard (Taituarā) and Khylee Baker (Whare Ora Kaituitui).
Kaimahi Teana Scoon and Khylee Baker share some of their amazing mahi.
Teana Scoon
Ko Puketapu te maunga
Ko Te Arai te awa
Ko Takitimu te waka
Ko Ngāi Tāwhiri te hapu
Ko Ohako te marae
Ko Rongowhakaata te iwi
Ko Teana Scoon ahau
I am a Pūkenga Manaaki / Advisor with the Whare Ora team in Wairau.
Working with vulnerable people has opened my eyes to the everyday challenges that some of our whānau face including, and most importantly, suitable housing.
In my career in different community roles I have found that reliable accommodation gives whānau stability and a base to work from. My goal is always to help a whānau realise their worth and give them the tools to enrich their lives in a way that makes them feel valued.
Khylee Baker
Kia ora whānau
Ko wai au?
Ko Mauao kohatunui te maunga
Tauranga moana ki te awanui
Ko Te Whānau o Tauwhao te hapu o Ngāi Te Rangi
Ko Tauwhao te wahine toa
Mataatua te waka
Ko Khylee Baker ahau
I’m the Kaituitui / Co-ordinator for Whare Ora / Healthy Homes for the Te Tauihu rohe.
It’s my job to let whānau know about how we can help make your home warmer and drier.
Part of co-ordinating this wonderful service is to equip our Home Advisors, who meet with whānau in their homes and help with ways to make it healthier, safer, warmer and drier.
Khylee Baker and delivery crew with a donation of bedding from Linen House.
The gifts that keep on giving
Te Piki Oranga is grateful for the manaakitanga of Laser Plumbing, Mr Plumber and Linen House for their donations to whānau in need, distributed through our Whare Ora / Healthy Homes service.
Laser Plumbing in Wairau / Blenheim donated several generous grocery vouchers that we distributed to vulnerable whānau just before Kirihimete.
For one whānau, the grocery voucher put kai on the table for nine people in a three-bedroom house, including three tamariki they care for from another whānau. For another recipient, a young hapū māmā, a voucher eased her worries and lifted her spirits.
When Te Piki Oranga shared a little of these whānau lives on social media – small insights of life in temporary housing, overcrowding and trying to stay well in a cold and leaky whare – Wairau tradesman Mr Plumber was moved to donate his professional services.
The recipient whānau were delighted with Mr Plumber’s improvements to their whare – certifying gas fittings and upgrading the gas bottles.
Lastly, just in time for winter, Linen House donated $75,000 worth of winter bedding to three Whare Ora / Healthy Home teams in Te Waipounamu.
We worked with our peers in Ōtautahi / Christchurch and Ōtepoti / Dunedin to arrange shipment of the bedding: Te Piki Oranga paid for the shipping costs, the Christchurch provider organised the storage and the Dunedin provider organised the shipping at a heavily discounted price.
The share of the bedding received by Te Piki Oranga will go a long way for whānau in need this winter.
If you are hapū or have young tamariki (0-5 years) living with you, we may be able to provide support to improve your housing conditions.
