About Ki tua o Matariki
Grounded in Tradition for the Health of our Future
Rooted in Tradition, Growing Towards the Future
The journey to become Ki tua o Matariki came about because of the belief in upholding the mana and hauora of young Māori parents and their tamariki; our future generations. We work across the Tāmaki (Auckland) and Hauraki region and are the health and social service arm of Ngāti Pāoa. As the social and health provider for Ngāti Pāoa, we bring the wisdom and knowledge of our iwi to guide us in our mahi.
Our work supports whānau from Ngāti Pāoa, as well as whānau from our community.
Ngāti Pāoa holds historical relationships with spaces and places in Tāmaki. Ngāti Pāoa significant lead interests include; Sylvia Park, Panmure, Mt Wellington, Glen Innes, Glendowie, Meadowbank, Kohimarama, Akoranga, Northcote, Devonport, Takapuna. Other interests include islands in the Tāmaki Strait (including Waiheke, Pōnui, Rātōroa, and Tiritiri Matangi and reaches across to the Coromandel Peninsula over Manaia and Kaimarama).
For information on Ngāti Pāoa please visit www.paoa.co.nz, If you whakapapa to Ngāti Pāoa you can register to your iwi through this page too.
Our Main Office and Health Clinics are in Panmure, a heartland of Ngāti Pāoa. We share our office with Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust.
"Pāoa ki uta, Pāoa ki tai, Pāoa ki tua o te pae o Matariki."
Our History
2010
The organisation, first known as “Thrive” was established after research undertaken highlighted the need for an independent, Auckland-based teen parent support service.
2011
Officially opened in 2011 as a dedicated teen parent service in Tāmaki, Niamh Wingate became the first manager of the service. Niamh Wingate had lived the experience of being a teen māmā.
2012
Thanks to the support of The Tindall Foundation, a range of new support groups for māmā and pāpā were set up- childbirth education, parenting workshops and one-to-one tautoko.
2013
Cinnamon Whitlock becomes the CE, with 15 kaimahi employed. Thirteen of them have lived experience of being young parents. Our early board members include Marama Davidson and Carmel Sepuloni.
2014
We have over 300 young parents on the database that they connect with via newsletters, Facebook and the range of programmes provided to tautoko young parents.
2015
Cinnamon puts a strong focus on maternal mental health and works with mental health providers to acknowledge the impact that mental health on young Māori hāpu māmā and their tamariki. Cinnamon advocates for the rights of young hapū māmā and their tamariki at a variety of levels.
2016
Josie Smith a well-known Māori Health leader in Tāmaki, joins the Board and supports its focus on maternal mental health.
2017
We gain social service accredited (Level 2) and obtain our first Government contract for teen parent support.
2018
The majority of hapū māmā and mātua taiohi E Tipu e Rea support whakapapa Māori. We transition all our work into a kaupapa Māori framework.
2019
We receive a new name from kaumātua –“E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services”. The name was chosen to highlight the organisation’s belief in mātua taiohi and their ability to also support their tamariki to grow and thrive. Cinnamon and the board start to plan for an iwi relationship for E Tipu e Rea.
2020
Zoe-Witika-Hawke (Ngāti Hako, Ngāti Pāoa) becomes new CEO of E Tipu e Rea Whānau Services. Board members include Natalie Vincent, Selah Hart, Charlene Fitisemanu, Te Miria James-Hohaia.
2021
Zoe and the board continue to plan for a relationship with iwi. Zoe reaches out to Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust to form a partnership.
2022
Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust supports E Tipu e Rea, we become their accredited health and social service. E Tipu e Rea expands its focus to include a range of health kaupapa, employment and training, cultural development, and community events and outreach. The E Tipu e Rea relationship with Ngāti Pāoa continues to strengthen. E Tipu e Rea welcomes Rangitahi Pompey as our Ngāti Pāoa Iwi Trust representative on our board.
We work with over 400 mātua taiohi, hapū māmā and tamariki. We employ our first ex-clients as kaimahi for E Tipu e Rea.
2023
E Tipu e Rea continues to grow with the addition of our first clinical team with midwifes and nurse’s delivering Midwifery and Early Years Services (Well Child/Tamariki Ora and Childhood Immunisations). We also gain Mātauranga Māori services supporting hapūtanga wānanga, tūpuna parenting, leadership, and connecting with Te Ao Māori. We open a new office with Ngati Pāoa Iwi Trust in Mauinaina (Panmure) - heartlands of Ngāti Pāoa. E Tipu e Rea welcomes Te Wai Unasa-Barbarich as another Ngāti Pāoa representative on our Board, and Felicity Ware as Chair.
2024
We employ over 30 kaimahi and growing– the majority have lived experience of being young māmā or pāpā. We also employ many kaimahi who whakapapa to Ngāti Pāoa. The E Tipu e Rea Trust Deed is updated to include our relationship with Ngāti Pāoa. We open our first transitional housing complex.
We begin a process of renaming our service to better align with Ngāti Pāoa. We start planning for service expansion to include services for Ngāti Pāoa kaumatua, kuia, koroua, pakeke with Oranga Whānau, Oranga Mokopuna as our driver. When the whole whānau are well, our young parents will be supported more, and our mokopuna will be well.
Our Sponsors, Partners, & Supporters
Cindy Kawana is affiliated with Ngāruahine and Rangitane o Wairarapa, proudly representing her iwi and hapū while contributing to her community in Aotearoa.
Zoe has worked in the hauora sector for over 20 years, with qualifications and extensive experience in social work, community development,. Māori public health, social policy, and not-for-profit business management. Zoe also has widespread governance experience with iwi, and the health and community sector. Zoe has lived experience of the impacts of state care on whānau intergenerationally – driving her strategic leadership and iwi-development focused approach.
Cassandra Kawana-Sapari is a primary education graduate passionate about empowering tamariki and rangatahi. She reconnects with her iwi, Ngāruahine, after diverse experiences across Aotearoa and Indonesia.
Rihipeti-Paerau is deeply grounded in kaupapa Māori research, decolonisation, and iwi-led development, bringing strong expertise in te ao Māori, tikanga, and supporting the aspirations of her people.
Lotima Apolosi is a passionate advocate for Māori culture, dedicated to community engagement and empowerment. With strong iwi and hapū connections, he actively promotes cultural heritage in Aotearoa.
Johannah Rawiri, a qualified Secondary School teacher from Whatapaka, passionately serves her iwi and hapū while contributing to local and central government for the benefit of her community.
Lizzie Strickett (Ngāpuhi, Te Aupōuri) is a kaupapa Māori researcher passionate about maternal health and equity, dedicated to improving healthcare for Māori families based on her own experiences.
Adelaide Tito is a proud Ngāpuhi iwi member, dedicated to her heritage and community, with a passion for promoting cultural awareness and connection among Māori people.
Halisa Hakaraia-Smith, a proud māmā from Te Tai Tokerau, is dedicated to supporting hapū māmā and their tamariki, with a focus on hauora and tikanga Māori. Iwi: Ngāpuhi.
Amber Hutchinson, a registered social worker of Māori, Pasifika, and Pākehā descent, leverages her experiences as a young parent to empower whānau in realising their dreams and aspirations.
Keri Milich, a qualified ECE kaiako with over 30 years of experience, empowers tamariki and whānau through mātauranga Māori, fostering connections to their Māoritanga. Ngāpuhi iwi affiliations.
Moana Seve is an experienced small business owner skilled in event planning, client communications, budgeting, and contract negotiation. She proudly affiliates with the Falelima, Vailuutai, Laulií, and Sasina iwi/hapū.
Tamara Telfar-Valks, a qualified Rongoā Māori Practitioner and proud māmā of three, is dedicated to supporting hapū māmā and whānau while revitalising traditional birthing practices. Iwi: Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa.
Gurphal Kaur is a Chartered Accountant with 20 years of finance experience, primarily in healthcare and charitable trusts. She has been with ETERWS for nearly two years. Iwi affiliations include Wanganui and Kharoudi from Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
George Hoeft Tavita, a 2nd gen Kiwi of Sāmoan, Tongan, and Niuean descent, has over a decade of experience in youth work, dedicated to guiding rangatahi on their journeys.
Stacey Kerapa, with over 20 years in Social Services and Administration, is passionate about Te reo Māori me ona tikanga. She recently returned to Auckland after working in social housing admissions.
Johnny Kingi is a final-year Bi Cultural Social Work student with over 10 years' experience supporting rangatahi in Auckland. He’s passionate about self-care and uplifting whānau. Iwi affiliations include Te Whānau ā Apanui, Ngāti Porou, Ngāpuhi, Tainui, and Ngāti Pāoa.
Donae Weller, a South Auckland māmā of three and qualified midwife, is dedicated to improving healthcare for young hapū māmā, drawing on over 15 years of experience in the sector.
Harmony Hatton-Thompson is a registered nurse with four years in Primary Health. A dedicated māmā of three, she passionately supports those in need to achieve positive health outcomes. Iwi: Kuki Airani.
Tayla-Jane Albert-Jones is a dedicated registered social worker and proud māmā of three, committed to uplifting Māori whānau through her expertise and passion for community support.
Ereana Selwyn is a registered nurse dedicated to wāhine and tamariki health, with a focus on Māori wellbeing. Proud māmā, she blends 10 years in finance and IT with 5 years in primary healthcare.
Madison-Rei Willison, a dedicated wāhine Māori with a Bachelor of Health Sciences and three years in public health, passionately advocates for mātua taiohi through hapūtanga and parenthood.
Kelly Wikaira-King is a qualified counsellor with deep social service experience, embodying empathy and manaakitanga. Her roles as matua taiohi and proud nana enrich her practice.
Anita Lomas, from South Auckland, has 15 years in Administration and Finance across various industries. Passionate about empowering others to reconnect with their Māoritanga and achieve their goals.
Tahlea Hohaia, a dedicated member of the People and Culture team since 2020, leverages her experience as a teen parent to support and nurture professional growth among her kaimahi.
Jessie-Jade Witeri, affiliated with Āti Ue and Te Whakatōhea, is a passionate advocate for rangatahi Māori, blending her expertise in public health and facilitation with family life.