Te Whare Mamahu – Birthing Whare

Kia ora,

Our small collective of Maori birth workers are working together to open a non profit home birthing space from our whare in Owairaka, Tamaki Makaurau to support whanau.

Not all whanau feel safe to birth in Western medicalized institutions such as hospitals nor do they feel culturally protected in birth care centers but unfortunately not everyone has access to a safe and practical home birthing environment. Through this kaupapa we hope to provide the safe space that is greatly needed for our whanau. Through this space we will also hold wananga, offer rongoa, run hauora days, create taonga, much more and whanau will be welcome to come and utilise the whare for their own personal use in holding kaupapa that align with the tikanga of this whare.

We are asking for tautoko only of the resourcing and some facilities we wouldn’t have otherwise if this wasn’t a community space as this is being built on our private property. The building and costs for the building are being provided by Helen. For example, through this GGF page we have been able to buy a birthing pool that a number of whanau have already used and other birthing equipment. As mentioned in an earlier post, we don’t have funding for what we do and have chosen to keep it that way. We don’t want to be confined to any funding restrictions so that we can freely achieve what is actually needed, as a collective. So we rely mainly on this crowd funding.

We appreciate anything given by you all, nga mihi tino nui i wa koutou tautoko.

You can find out more about this kaupapa, who we are and keep up to date with what’s happening via our social media pages:

https://www.instagram.com/whare.mamahu/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555112774423&mibextid=LQQJ4d

If you may be able to provide any practical services, we would love to hear from you! [email protected]

Nga mihi maioha,
Our collective from Te Whare Mamahu

Permission for art by: Robyn Kahukiwa