NZAAHD is very excited to announce that with the help of the Todd Foundation and JR McKenzie we are establishing our Rangatahi Māori Health and Development Project.

Whereas NZAAHD's core work has always been to connect, inform and offer voice to people working with young people, this project will focus a stream of that work to meet the needs of individuals and organisations working specifically with rangatahi Māori and establish a strategy for best supporting them.

This collaborative strategy will aim to:

• stimulate and encourage Māori, whether urban, rural, iwi, hapu, or whanau based to grow Māori youth potential, good citizenship, nation building, sense of community, ownership, leadership, partnership, whanaungatanga, matauranga, hauoratanga, pukengatanga, wairuatanga.
• utilise NZAAHD membership in the positive growth and development of Māori youth development.

The project will be guided by NZAAHD's Te Wāhanga Māori.

The first stage of the project will include mapping out all current strategies and programmes aimed at rangatahi Māori health and development. This will include a literature review, a web search, scoping members and non-members who work with rangatahi Māori, and identifying the key factors impacting on rangatahi Māori health and development in Aotearoa, including the current changes in the health system and the Whanau Ora initiative. The ongoing nature of the project will be guided by the outcomes of this first stage.

NZAAHD members who are Māori can have input into the project by joining Te Wāhanga Māori. Contact Maddy Drew on 04 382 9944 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by Wednesday 09 December to input into this initial stage. Ongoing input will be a part of Te Wāhanga Māori membership, which is always open to Māori NZAAHD members.