Providing a service for our people, the importance of my job is to support whanau to get into secure housing. We are a wonderful organization to work for and caring and a lot of Manaaki.

“Ngati Porou Oranga supports the community, whanau and their rangatahi. My best advice to give to those wanting to work in the Youth Services is to be just true to yourself working with whanau in the community. The whanau we work with are quite vulnerable and they will see whether you are being genuine with the mahi you are doing. “

“I have been in my role for 6 years and working with an awesome team goes a long way. If you are wanting to contribute back to your iwi, whānau, and community, then come work for Ngāti Porou Oranga!”

"I love working for Ngati Porou Oranga because I am part of the puzzle, that i get to contribute my skills towards the vision that was laid down by papa Api. My advice is to put your application in and that there's is a place for anyone on the waka."

"I love that we are all in it for the right reasons and we are all just out there to help people, it's not judgmental and we just get in there and get the work done. My advice to someone wanting to work here is to be ready to work hard, be prepared for the hard stuff and just know that everyone has your back, I have found that Ngati Porou Oranga is the most supportive place I have worked at. "

I found out about Tuhono Whānau by kaiawhina promoting the service in the community. Zarian helped me to become confident in myself as a māmā for my daughter, to be able to trust my instincts and not doubt myself in what I am doing. I struggle with social anxiety and Zarian helped to push me out of my comfort zone to help guide me to be able to take my daughter to things such as swimming, play groups and also to play centre which I am now on the committee for, something I never would have considered myself even capable of doing this was a great help for me because now I can see something I think my daughter will enjoy like soccer or rugby and without hesitation I can sign her up and take her along to give it a go. Another thing Zarian helped my whānau with was safe sleeping I was quite anxious about my daughter sleeping alone or somewhere I couldn’t see or hear her breathing and I found it quite hard to not do contact sleeping. Zarian worked with my daughter and I for roughly about a year to transition her to sleeping on her own. Zarian didn’t force us or shame us for not doing it the right way instead she gave us information so I was fully informed , new strategies and ideas to try, it took a long time but we got there in the end. I never wanted my daughter to leave my site and now she attends kindy two days a week. I could go on and on about the ways Zarian helped my whānau and I but the one thing I want to end with is just the positive affirmation that what I was doing as a mum was right, that I was doing a good job and that I am a good mum it meant the world to me and it still does. I struggle with being able to believe that I am a good mum and in times where I am doubting myself I can hear Zarians voice in my head telling me that I am a good māmā and that I am trying the best and if I don’t believe it I just need to look at Atlas and see how good she is doing as a reminder that I’m doing a good job and it really does help me. I would and I do, anytime I am with friends/parents who are looking for support I recommend Tuhono to them and tell them of my experience and how it has helped me. “