Description

Te Hauora o te Hiku o te Ika (“Te Hiku Hauora”) is a primary health care service provider situated in the Far North of Aotearoa. Te Hiku Hauora has a multi-disciplinary approach to health care incorporating: General Practitioners and Dentists, Health Promotion, Mobile Nursing services and Home Support, which collectively support the move toward a one-stop-shop for health care.

As part of their care services Te Hiku Hauora is committed to youth resilience and successfully gained Waka Hourua funding for their project, the Muriwhenua Waka Hourua Programme.

Their project is a response for the need to address the determining events in the area. In 2012, 19 Northland youth took their own lives, 15 of which were Māori, the annual average was 5. In response, rangatahi (youth) recently surveyed in Te Tai Tokerau believe they must develop their own ways to identify suicide risk and appropriate protective factors, and link rangatahi with appropriate support. The rangatahi surveyed believe access to information, building communication skills and school-based prevention work is required to address suicide risk.

As such, the Muriwhenua Waka Hourua Programme is a rangatahi informed programme designed to inform, educate and communicate suicide prevention programmes, enhance and promote proven resources and connect rangatahi, helping build resilient whānau, hapū and communities.

Te Kīwai Rangahau, Te Rau Matatini evaluation team was commissioned to undertake a review of the Waka Hourua Fund. The focus of this specific review therefore was to assess and to determine how the Muriwhenua Waka Hourua Programme implementation aligns to the overall intent and design of the Waka Hourua programme, and what actually happened during its implementation.