About us
Haere mai ki taku whare
Bringing Poutiria te Aroha home
Tēnei hunga mahi
Our people and foundations
Parenting and raising tamariki is one of the hardest jobs we ever get to do. And most, if not all, parents are often overwhelmed by that role at some point. It takes work, and aroha, some friends and a lot of on-the-job training.
The ao Māori view is that tamariki learn from whatever they experience in their homes, first and foremost. And what used to be the norm for raising tamariki was a 'village'/papakāinga of homes where tamariki were cared for by a collective.
Our people understand this. Through the wisdom of te ao Māori, and the advocacy for the rights of the child, we aspire for all children to be welcomed, accepted, acknowledged and fully appreciated and respected as 'tangata'/human beings.
Kaupapa
Our purpose
The aim of Poutiria te Aroha is to support parents, caregivers and whānau to grow healthy, connected relationships based on aroha.
At the core of our philosophy is deep respect for the sacredness of our tamariki and all living beings
The basis of our teaching is formed from knowledge and tikanga (culture and practices) from te ao Māori (the Māori world) and the principles of parenting with nonviolence.
Pou
There are four pou that support the cultural anchoring framework for Poutiria te Aroha.
Deep symbolism, significance and cultural meaning are attached to the pou and other structural features of a whare.
Rangatiratanga
Self-determination and Leadership
A practice of upholding the mana of the child within the whānau, and of the whānau within the community.
Whānau
Family
Whānau as a collective: a caring, healing community engaged with upholding the mana and well-being of their tamariki.
Ako
Learning
We are all teachers and at the same time we are all learners. And tamariki come to us not only to learn from us, but also to teach us life's most profound lesson - aroha.
Te Tuakiri o te Tangata
Spirituality
Through understanding our 'spiritual anatomy' - te mauri, te mana, me te tapu of every human being, we can learn to care for these deeper aspects of our children and ourselves.
Our supporters
What you can do with love at a community level,
when you build relationships and collectives of care.
Thank you to all our funders who believe in what we do and trust us in our mahi, to make a strong and lasting difference in the lives of whānau and tamariki.
