Approximately $16.7 million has been approved for kaitono within the Waikato DHB.

By 29 May, in Waikato DHB 91.5% of Māori (12+), had had one dose, 88.2% had had two doses, and 51.3% had had their booster. 

Te Arawa marae benefit from MCCF

More than 50 Te Arawa marae have used $4.3 million from the Māori Communities COVID-19 Fund to build the resilience of vulnerable communities and help hapori Māori manage the impact of COVID-19.

Support from the MCCF has helped 52 marae in the rohe to access the resources to support their hapori.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust have delivered short-term resilience initiatives that directly support iwi, whānau, hapū and hapori to build resilience, with leaders tailoring support to suit the individual communities.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust hunga mahi used their relationships, knowledge, and co-ordination skills built during COVID lockdown to distribute marae and community essentials.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust Pou Whirinaki lead Taparoto Nicholson says supporting the rohe on this scale has never been attempted before.

As part of the funding, 48 marquees are being hapū branded and presented to local marae as an added asset, supporting their people coming together and reconnecting in a post-COVID world.

Waikato Tainui – Phase 1 

MCCF has contracted $8 million in funding to Waikato Tainui to help provide community outreach and vaccinations as part of the COVID-19 response in their rohe. 

Waikato Tainui organised two drive-in movie events where rangatahi provided vaccinations to those that attended.

These events not only lifted vaccination rates but provided key insights for Māori health providers by identifying an approach that attracted significant support from whānau. 

Waikato Tainui also worked with Ngā Marae o Kāwhia Moana to launch a digital campaign to promote whānau hauora through vaccination. This initiative saw a 20% increase in Māori vaccinations in the Kāwhia Moana area. 

Waikato Tainui also engaged Marae and volunteers to distribute support packs to whānau in response to local cases of COVID-19 in the Waikato area. These whānau were unable to access supplies due to isolation requirements. The packs included things like PPE and medical supplies. 

The pūtea provided by the MCCF to Waikato Tainui helped deliver 9590 vaccinations. Just under half of the total doses administered were boosters. 

Raukawa Charitable Trust – Phase 1 

MCCF has contracted $608,000 in funding to Raukawa Charitable Trust to help lift vaccination rates for whānau in South Waikato. 

Raukawa Charitable Trust is the social services arm of the South Waikato-based iwi – Raukawa, providing health and social development initiatives throughout South Waikato since 1987.

The Trust’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic has been critical to the wellbeing of whānau in their rohe. 

The Trust led initiatives in the response to COVID-19 including; recruiting and upskilling a new vaccinator workforce made up of vaccinators, clinical leadership, kai manaaki and advocates, and establishing a mobile team to reach those in the largely rural Raukawa rohe.

The kaitono worked with primary health organisations where they have existing relationships, along with Tokoroa hospital to increase vaccination uptake among whānau Māori in their rohe. They also worked with other organisations such as Whānau Ora to deliver events designed to encourage vaccination. 

The pūtea provided by the MCCF to Raukawa Charitable Trust has helped increase the vaccination rate for Māori in the Waikato DHB from 79% to 91.4% (first dose) and 64% to 88% (second dose).

In addition, the Trust says this mahi has given their team the opportunity to experience the health and iwi welfare sector. Because of the experience gained through this mahi some team members have obtained other permanent employment and others are now seeking to undertake further study in the health sector. 

Taumarunui Community Kōkiri Trust – Phase 2  

Ministers have approved this proposal worth $267,000 targeting isolated communities in and around south Waikato. 

Target groups in these regions are rangatahi, and those impacted by vulnerability factors such as being unvaccinated, living in rural and remote locations, or in need of support for mental health and addictions. 

The proposal includes planning elements for home isolation including: 

• employment of kaiāwhina to support COVID-19 response,
• support with the delivery of kai packs,
• provision of daily wellness checks, and
• medication runs for whānau.