E ngā mana,
E ngā reo,
E ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou katoa!

Ngā Pou Mana (NPM) are excited to announce a new strategic plan and direction to share with the membership and our stakeholders.

Over the past 2 years NPM have grown from a membership of 120 - to over 620 members to date.  With this growth there has been some major challenges - including not always having the resources and people (staff) to manage the increase in membership, and the increase in activities that NPM are trying to provide.  

To date, NPM have provided FREE wānanga and hui opportunities for the membership, grants and scholarships, national and international conference opportunities, peer and group supervision, and of course - opportunities to network and have whanaungatanga with other kaimahi Māori in hauora.  

This has all been achieved with tautoko and support from a voluntary executive committee, made up of passionate kaimahi from the sectors that support allied health and other areas of hauora. NPM currently only have one paid staff member that is completing some of the behind the scenes mahi - however a lot still falls on the voluntary executive committee.  So I would like to take the time to give a big mihi to the executive committee!  I think it is fair to say you are all doing amazing mahi! 

We recognise, as we grow and add more opportunities for the NPM membership, a voluntary board will not be able to sustain the activities we are trying to deliver.  The NPM executive committee have been having many conversations about how to become a sustainable organisation.  So you will see, one of the main priorities for NPM will be to find sustainable pathways to support the membership and the organisations vision and purpose going forward.

It has been great to see that there has been a really positive response from the membership about the direction that NPM is taking - and we have been working hard in the background to find out the following:

- what do our members want from NPM?
- how can NPM contribute to the improvement of hauora and wellbeing for Māori?
- what is the vision and purpose for NPM over the next few years?

The NPM Strategic Plan for 2019-2024 lays the foundations for what we hope to achieve over the next few years - and we believe it is representative of what you as members and stakeholders hope to see NPM achieve too.  

​A copy of the document can be downloaded below.

Mauri Ora!

Roxanne Waru
Kaiwhakahaere

PHARMAC and Ngā Pou Mana (NPM) are calling for scholarship award nominations for Māori kaimahi, students and community members who have had a positive impact on whānau, hapū and iwi.  
 
Dr Teah Carlson, Chairperson of NPM, says “the awards are to support Māori allied health workforce development, so that people can continue study, to grow professional and cultural practice. The awards will provide much needed tautoko and manaaki for Māori kaimahi to continue their ongoing development.” 
 
Applications are open to members of Ngā Pou Mana who come from within the broad body of allied health – and are also open to those who may not be traditionally defined as allied health, but make a great contribution to hauora Māori.
 
Allied health professionals make up about a third of the health workforce.  They include, amongst others - physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers, speech and language therapists, dietitians, podiatrists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, psychologists, counsellors, osteopaths, nutritionists, massage therapists and many more.
 
Dr Teah Carlson says “we recognise that the health workforce is changing with new professional roles such as Whānau Ora, the revitalisation of rongoā Māori practices, and Iwi and kaupapa Māori services. We have opened applications this year to whānau and community members, allowing grassroots mahi to be recognised and honoured that exists and remains outside of institutions and organisations.”
 
“We support kaupapa Māori ‘ways of being’ and believe they can transform the health system. We envision a system that is grounded in whanaungatanga – reciprocal, responsive relationships – that entail active collaboration, shared power, partnership, and deliberative engagement. This is the basis to the awards - supporting whānau to have choices where they determine their own health and wellbeing”.
 
PHARMAC’s Director Engagement and Implementation Alison Hill says, “having access to Māori health practitioners right across the health spectrum can help break down some of the barriers for whānau in accessing and using the medicines they need. We’re delighted to support the development of the Māori health workforce through this initiative.”
 
The awards will be presented at the Ngā Pou Mana Hui-ā-Tau in September in Tauranga this year.

About the awards
 
Ngā Taonga Mātauranga o Ngā Pou Mana awards will be offered in THREE categories.


Category One – Ngā Pou Mana Kete Tuauri mō te whānau - for community kaimahi $1,000
The Pou Mana kete that holds the knowledge of ritual, memory and prayer. This award is open to those working in the community (voluntary or paid) making a positive change in the area of hauora. 

Category Two – Ngā Pou Mana Kete Aronui mō te tauira - for students $1,500
The Pou Mana kete that holds the knowledge that helps mankind. This award is open to those studying at any level (certificate, diploma, degree, postgraduate, masters, PhD or doctorate) in an allied health pathway. 

Category Three – Ngā Pou Mana Mātauranga Māori $2,000
The Pou Mana award helps learning the knowledge of all things Māori.
This award is open to anyMāori Ngā Pou Mana members, who are entering into or are already in study to build their understanding of Te Ao Māori. Students do not have to be studying in an allied health pathway.
 
Nominations for the scholarship awards open on Tuesday the 18 June 2019 and people can find the applications and criteria below.
 
Applications close on the 1 September 2019.