Teenage parents are exposed to a myriad of challenges as they navigate their early parenting journey, with feelings of isolation and disconnection contributing to the immense pressures of life with a young child.
For a group of young mothers at He Wero o ngā Wāhine in West Auckland, a focus on wellbeing and active recreation is providing an opportunity for reconnection and self-growth, all while reinforcing belief in themselves.
He Wero o ngā Wāhine is a teen parent unit sitting under the umbrella of Henderson High School. The unit has around 15 young wāhine enrolled, all identifying as Māori or Pasifika. More than just a school, the teen parent unit is a community of young women with the same goal – to complete their secondary education and plan future pathways for them and their children.
A collaborative approach between He Wero and Sport Waitākere’s Community Sport and Healthy Families teams, with funding support from Foundation North and the Henderson-Massey Local Board, has been helping to guide the young wāhine through a journey of self-discovery. The aim has been reinvigorating their interest in active recreation and ultimately, contributing to positive wellbeing.
“Rangatahi voice told us that they lacked connection, opportunities to be active, and that sport and recreational activities were something they missed about life before becoming hapū (pregnant),” explains Kelly McCann, Rangatahi Advisor – Active Recreation with Sport Waitākere.
“Keeping these wāhine front and centre, we worked alongside them to explore how active recreation could enhance their wellbeing, including the maramataka framework as part of this process.”
Coming from the traditionally holistic understanding of wellbeing in Māori culture, the maramataka calendar utilises the traditional practice of observing the moon phases to help reflect and plan, with a clear connection between the environment and wellbeing.
“In the first phase of our co-design with the students, we used maramataka as a foundation and tool for wellbeing. We also looked at how we could embed active recreation within that to add extra layers of support,” explains Miriama Ohlson, Systems Innovator with Healthy Families Waitākere.
“Early on, it became very clear that they wanted better whanaungatanga with each other. They were all on different year schedules, with babies of different ages – and they wanted the chance to unite better,” says Miriama.
A whakawhanaungatanga day run on site at the school provided valuable learnings that fed into the co-design process.
“The girls enjoyed the day, but it was very evident that they wanted and needed a mātauranga Māori framework. We subsequently identified Te Kaiārahi, an outdoor pursuits provider embedded in te ao Māori and providing strong alignment on values,” explains Kelly.
A subsequent reconnection day run by Te Kaiārahi was held at Piha in May with a strong focus on the students’ relationship with themselves, with each other and with the taiao (environment).
“By embedding manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and kotahitanga within the delivery, the wāhine engaged in multiple active recreation activities to develop a sense of belonging, improve self-regulation and self-awareness, and reconnect back to nature, themselves and their communities,” says Kelly. “This was the penultimate experience for the girls, supporting the objective of enhancing wellbeing through active recreation.”
The journey to improved wellbeing is ongoing, and the joint initiative is already delivering change for the students. “One of the exciting outcomes from this initiative has been seeing the girls making decisions for their wellbeing, with two getting back into playing competitive netball,” adds Kelly.
Head of the Teen Parent Unit, Rhiannon Robertson, says the initiative to date has created a positive experience.
“The day planned for our students was an incredible fit. It connected all elements of te whare tapawhā and our students came back buzzing. They were challenged in a safe and supportive way, opening them up to incredible new experiences. This was huge in helping to build their confidence in their own abilities.”
Looking ahead, Miriama says the initiative with He Wero signals the start of an exciting journey for the young women.
“Ultimately, this was never the end destination, only the beginning, and it is intended that the insights learned to date will continue to be used to help contribute to improving the outcomes for the young parents, and ultimately their children. We know that helping to positively enhance their wellbeing now can have a huge impact on their health moving forward – and the benefits of this are intergenerational.”
With the ongoing support of Sport Waitākere’s Healthy Families and Community Sport and Recreation teams, He Wero is exploring how to further embed active recreation and other frameworks such as Mana Motuhake o te Kai as a vehicle for reconnection and wellbeing for its young parents.
