We are WĀHI
We exist to create a space
and an opening for rangatahi
to learn and speak openly
about mental health.
We are so passionate about
this kaupapa and we'd love
for you to get to know us.
Wāhi was founded in 2023
The growing need in our community and country for mental health and well-being education and support is what drove us to take action.
Wāhi’s mission is to provide a preventative approach to well-being and youth mental health.
We do this by providing practical and activities-based programmes to schools, alternative education and youth groups throughout the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
These programmes aim to uplift, encourage and equip the youth of Aotearoa with skills and practical tools they can use to overcome emotional challenges that may arise.
Our Mission
The mission of Wāhi is to service the community of the Eastern Bay of Plenty through practical, activities-based lessons that are targeted
toward improving the overwhelming statistics of mental health issues and suicide within Aotearoa New Zealand.
This is in hopes that it will equip rangatahi on a widespread basis with the skills and ability to face the challenges of life in a safe and healthy manner.
These skills include being able to recognise emotions within themselves and others, regulating emotions and
building on their identity as rangatahi within an Aotearoa New Zealand context.
Our Vision:
A Healthy and Thriving Aotearoa
The vision of Wāhi is to equip every rangatahi with the skills they need in order to overcome mental health challenges.
Our goal for the next 10 years is to have our programmes being run in various contexts throughout New Zealand so that each individual who has completed the PETRA Programme is equipped to face and overcome the challenges of mental health.
As levels of awareness around youth mental health are raised, we will in turn see a trend of improved resilience and decreased suicide rates within rangatahi across Aotearoa.
At Wāhi, we take a preventative
approach to mental well-being.
The preventative model that Wāhi is
built on aims to be an alternative
to current solutions which are based on
an ”ambulance at the bottom of the maunga” model.
Some services act by setting up fences at the top that safe guard rangatahi from falling off the maunga. Wāhi aims to interact with whānau at the entrance of the maunga before, or during the journey of their rangatahi, equipping youth with the skills and tools they need to navigate their journey. Each service in our community has a different part to play in enabling and supporting hauora within our communities and when each of our services are doing our mahi well, we will see great improvements of youth mental health in our community.
Wāhi's preventative approach to hauora is made up of three pou:
Skills to Navigate
Just as our tipuna had the skills to navigate from Hawaiki
to Aotearoa, we want to empower our rangatahi to navigate their hauora in a
safe and supported manner.
We can help our youth to do
this through engaging with them in our group settings,
teaching skills around recognising our triggers, our emotions, our foundations
and building confidence in
their identity.
Map
The Map is given to Rangatahi to help them and their whanau to be autonomous over their hauora and well-being journey. The Map gives youth ideas about what they can do personally or in their community to improve their well-being when facing challenges.
To help youth navigate this map and their hauora, we have developed the Youth Service Map which shows local organisations and services that are accessible to them.
Tools to Navigate
The compass represents the tools that rangatahi can use to manage their emotions and challenging situations. These may include physical or personal tools that rangatahi can use to navigate their emotions and challenging situation. We help Rangatahi to develop personal skills such as problem solving, emotional regulation techniques, as well as tools such as breathing, mindfulness and sensory regulation items.
The Impact Awards is a nationwide initiative to celebrate and support young people in Aotearoa who are demonstrating incredible courage and leadership to make a difference for our communities and country.
Wāhi's founder, Luke was grateful to be nominated for and eventually win the 2023 Local Award. The award highlighted Luke's mahi in building resilience in rangatahi through the PETRA Programme.
Contact Us
Please use this form to get in touch with us if you have
any questions about the Youth Service Map
or the PETRA Programme.
Huge thank-you to these generous change activation partners and sponsors.
Together we are actively providing youth mental health education in our communities.
