Marae environment reaches people
The relationship began with MSD’s partnership with Te Puea Memorial Marae, where our people were based on the marae to deliver on-site services to Māori in their own space. Now it is a collective of eight independent Auckland Māori organisations, who have come together under the collective mana and tapu of ‘Taumata Kōrero’.
MSD wanted and needed to improve the delivery of our services to Māori – aware that issues of homelessness and employment were disproportionately affecting Māori.
The marae environment doesn’t look like an MSD office. In many cases, whānau who previously would have been hesitant to seek support from multiple government agencies can now come to the marae and feel safe enough to speak frankly and accept help. Assistance with housing needs assessments (including emergency housing), hardship grants, benefit applications, employment, health, family violence services and even driver licensing is available on the marae. This is all key to opening doors to education and jobs.
The combined approach of MSD and other government agencies with Taumata Kōrero Tāmaki Makaurau means hundreds of clients a month are reached who might not have been otherwise.
In the spirit of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Taumata Kōrero Tāmaki Makaurau Rōpū and MSD has achieved results neither could have achieved on their own.