BEING THE CHANGE SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 front and centre: Plunket Gisborne staff Jelaire Poi (Plunket kaiawhina), Kaye Foreman (Plunket nurse), Joanne Quin (Plunket nurse), Mana Bradley (Plunket kaiawhina), Vanessa Robertson (Plunket nurse) and Abi Douglas (Plunket nurse). Picture by Liam Clayton More than a century after it began, Plunket is going back to its bicultural roots, promising to deliver a more equitable and whanau Maori-friendly service. Andrew Ashton talks to Whānau Āwhina Plunket chief executive Amanda Malu about what that will mean for new mothers here. ew mothers using Plunket and Ria Tikini — and the patronage and Karitāne Home for Babies when it opened Plunket’s bi-cultural origins have been services will find the charity support of Lady Victoria Plunket, Whānau in Dunedin in 1907. It was Mere and Ria forgotten. is now more bicultural and Āwhina Plunket would not be here today,” who helped deliver Tommy Mutu in 1906 “Whānau Āwhina Plunket is on a journey Ndetermined to ensure the chief executive Amanda Malu said. — and whose concerns led them to seek to reclaim its whakapapa; to fulfil the legacy achievements and experiences of women “It has long been the understanding that the support of Dr King to nurture him back of Mere Harper and RiaTikini by going back and wāhine Māori do not vanish from the Dr Frederic Truby King single-handedly to strength when breastfeeding issues were to its bi-cultural origins, ensuring equitable official record. established the organisation that has been causing him to lose weight and become health outcomes for all whānau. Mere and The service’s new focus follows a five-year helping tamariki and whānau across New unwell. Tommy has forever since been Ria reached out to form a partnership to review that found over Whānau Āwhina Zealand for 114 years. But that is only half known as the first Plunket baby. achieve the best outcomes for their pēpi Plunket’s 114 years its own story-telling the story. “The history of Whānau Āwhina Plunket and whānau. They centred on the needs had too often overlooked wahine Maori or “Mere Harper and Ria Tikini were both most of us know is — like much of of their whānau and built a collaborative portrayed them as bystanders to history. of Kāi Tahu and Kāti Huirapa descent, and Aotearoa’s history — incomplete at best, and supportive system around them. For However, now it is setting the record often worked closely with their friend and misleading and incorrect at worst. Stories Whānau Āwhina Plunket, and for Aotearoa, straight. neighbour, Dr King, to care for the ill in have been told, but not the full story. it is time to get back to those foundations. “The truth is, if it wasn’t for two Māori their community. They were also some of “This has rendered these founding midwives and healers — Mere Harper the first health professionals to work in the wāhine toa invisible, and Whānau Āwhina Continued on page 2 Franchise Business For Sale “With a Just Cabins franchise, you can enjoy a fl exible lifestyle with a business that earns money while you sleep.” Highly profi table franchise business for sale in the Gisborne/East Cape. Our award-winning franchise system will give you the benefi t of recurring income and the lifestyle to suit. Get in touch today Ross Churchouse, Sales Manager 021 273 0563 [email protected] 40551-01 2 THE GISBORNE HERALD LEAD Telling the full and true story “By acknowledging and to 12 months it is our intention embracing our bi-cultural origins, to really engage with iwi in more Whānau Āwhina Plunket is formal ways, through our board, creating a shared space and and have those conversations.” working to become a truly bi- She pointed out the changes cultural organisation that honours were intended to support Maori Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Whānau providers, rather than compete Āwhina Plunket is on the pathway with them. to becoming what we were always “When Maori choose our service, meant to be: an organisation that we want to ensure they are getting partners with whānau, is helpful the best service we can give them and doesn’t judge, is brave and — and if we don’t, we want to hear thoughtful, and optimistic for the about it. future,” Ms Malu said. “Interestingly enough, we see Speaking to The Herald Ms Malu nearly half of all Maori babies said the charity had made a strong born each year, so we already see a commitment to delivering services significant number and so that in in a “more equitable way”. itself is really important because That meant changes had to be there is an obligation to be there made. and do better.” “I think it’s pretty fair to say At the same time, there were we are taking our first steps. We a significant number of whānau have been doing a lot of work on missing out on the Whanau ourselves. Awhina Plunket service and “One of the first things we did who did not go to a tamariki ora was really look back, right the provider either. way back to where we began in “I think the tamariki ora system Karitane and we lifted up the full being more collaborative and and true story of our genesis and joined-up will hopefully mean that was quite important because fewer Maori miss out on a service.” BEING SEEN: Mere Harper and Ria Tikini, Plunket’s founding wahine toa. Picture supplied what we discovered when we did That would really shift the look back was actually, back in experience for whānau, she said. awareness, so they can see another the charity would be building on 1907, we were quite a different “One of the key things we have world view and understand why already good relationships with organisation. Our very roots were been working on is educating that is important when as a nurse tamariki ora providers. It had also in biculturalism and partnership our entire workforce and that’s a with a family it’s really important just put a new Maori nurse in and collaboration, but over the professional and personal journey. to acknowledge that world view. Wairoa. years we lost that a bit. “Every one of our staff is going “We are really conscious about ‘We are really building our basic “So, it was really important through a series of modules making sure that very first service and making sure that to acknowledge that and part online that we call ‘Being a Better engagement is one which is it is more responsive and more of that was telling that story of Treaty Partner’. That’s absolutely steeped in tikanga. connected to the other services in Mere Harper and Ria Tikini really designed to provide a more “What we want to see is mothers the region. proudly.” truthful education about the being heard and listened to and “I think it’s really important that Ms Malu said the charity was history of New Zealand, from pre- being able to talk with their we are not duplicating services ready to be held accountable. colonisation right the way through Plunket nurse about what’s on top that are already there. “We want to do things differently to now, and the impact that has for them, rather than what we are “It’s a work in progress and we and we are inviting people to hold had on whānau Maori. there to do.” are very keen to continue those us to account. Over the next six “It’s about building people’s For Gisborne and the East Coast, conversations. Our staff on the ground there are really up for that. “For us, what’s important is people understand that we are wanting to work differently. We are committed to prioritising FRONTING UP: Plunket chief outcomes for whānau Maori and executive Amanda Malu. that means that we are doing Picture supplied things differently — both to work with Maori but also, in the way we their tamariki. So we’re looking at might work with other families.” all those social and cultural needs, Clinical Leader for Gisborne as well as health support. Vicki Lidington said Whānau “We also have two kaiawhina Āwhina Plunket was still working within our team who provide an through what our service delivery opportunity to connect with our will look like in the coming years services in a culturally appropriate and aims to deliver all its services way. They know our local iwi and equitably by 2025. Māori health groups, and can help “We have a strategy that whānau connect with local Māori provides an equity roadmap and support. It’s all about providing an guides our responsiveness to appropriate service for what our whānau Māori. whānau need, and our kaiawhina “In Gisborne, we have a very offer that wraparound service in a experienced team with good whānau-led way. links to all our local community “Our kaiawhina provide organisations. Our nurses have a an opportunity to establish great relationships with all health whakawhanaungatanga with care providers, and they work our whānau and really create a really closely with these services to personal relationship. It’s a warm, make sure our whānau can get any welcoming introduction to our additional support they may need. services, and our whānau are really “One of the ways we’ve happy to have someone making been working with other local that connection with them. It’s a organisations is how we’ve very seamless and personal way supported the Tauawhi Tairāwhiti of welcoming them to Whānau Men’s Centre and Wairua Ora Hei Āwhina Plunket and letting them know how we can help in what is a PlUNkET’S FIRST PREmISES aT kaRITaNE, dUNEdIN, IN 1907 Tū Tangata on the Pāpāwhāriki hui, which celebrates dads and very special time in their lives.” SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2021 3 PROFILE It’s all in the recipe HAPPY BEING HOME: When Sally Cameron makes a poached egg it has to be perfect -- water swirling, and cooked for two minutes and 40 seconds.