A young south Auckland family credit Whānau Ora for a new outlook on life.

The couple worked on a whānau plan with a navigator from Kotahitanga – a Whānau Ora provider collective representing Turuki Health Care, Papakura Marae and Te Kaha o te Rangatahi Trust. While the plan included health, education and employment goals, managing debt was a priority so the navigator linked them with a financial consultant, Tuhi Leef, from Aotearoa Credit Union.

“We were stuck in a rut with debt and no matter how hard we worked, by the time we paid our bills there was no money left,” says the mother-of-one. “Tuhi came in to help us set up a debt management plan to reduce and consolidate what we owed – it relieved so much pressure.”

As well as giving up smoking, the father wanted new qualifications to get a job. He now works for an alternative education centre while his partner is up-skilling herself by studying at the New Zealand Institute of Management.

She says the whānau plan helps them to identify goals and ambitions and work towards them.

“We want to own our own home but need to clear our debt and have a savings plan for ourselves and our son as well as emergency savings. We know it’s not going to happen overnight but we are building the foundations to do that.”

“We are able to see what we want for our future, for our son and our family – with a whānau plan, you can think about your future and the options for getting there.It’s been awesome for us.” Whānau

www.turukihealthcare.org.nz
www.papakuramarae.co.nz
www.tekaha.co.nz