Marae Ora, Kāinga Ora Official Launch

On 19^th March at Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae, Te Whare Wānanga o Wairaka, guests gathered to celebrate the launch of the Marae Ora Kāinga Ora (MOKO) research project.

This is a collaborative partnership between Ngā Wai a Te Tūi the Māori and Indigenous Research Centre and five marae (mana whenua, taura here and mātāwaka marae) which include Papakura, Manurewa, Papatuanuku Kokiri, Mataatua and Makaurau Marae their respective communities in South Auckland.

MOKO will explore the potential of marae to strengthen their provision of kāinga in the contemporary urban context of South Auckland. While marae are highly valued by Māori communities as being critical to cultural sustainability and are recognized by government agencies as important community providers, there is limited research about how contemporary urban marae operate, and about how they can work with, and for communities.

Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan acknowledges that this work is founded on the genesis of the research with Te Puea Memorial Marae which played a significant role in the Tāmaki housing crisis and responding to the needs of whanau.

The ancient innovation of marae has the potential to intervene in our contemporary circumstances, and the magic of manaakitanga cannot just rehouse but rehome whanau into their communities says Lee-Morgan.

Eruera Lee-Morgan also highlights that Mokopuna a Moko (Marae Ora, Kāinga Ora) who take their first steps today from the safety of their respective homes. Like all of our Mokopuna, they deserve the best start to their lives koia tēnā Ko te Matuarau o te tamaiti It takes an entire village to raise a child.

The multidisciplinary Māori research team that will support this MOKO project are well positioned to engage a Kaupapa Māori research approach that relies heavily on existing whanaungatanga relationships and professional networks. Together with our ability to develop further relationships and meaningful community participation, we can co-produce transformative outcomes that respond to the needs of our diverse communities.

The research team welcomes all the marae who have committed to this project and embracing this significant day with ritual and ceremony to formalise a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which has been more of a blessing ceremony or ‘tohi’ and waerea of our Mokopuna (MOKO) project as this occasion marks its birthing into the world!