Move Well to Feel Well – our mission to get South Auckland on its feet
Help us create environments that promote movement and active lifestyles that work for you, your communities, and your whānau. We are on a mission to get people to ‘Move Well to Feel Well’, an initiative that aims to get 10,000 people in South Auckland moving by June 2026. Movement and Sports Systems Innovator, Narita Vaivai […]
Connected Through the Vā: Learning from Pacific communities for better health
At Healthy Families South Auckland, Pacific and Māori communities are at the heart of our kaupapa. The work is grounded in understanding the communities of South Auckland. This means not just their challenges, but also their aspirations, motivations, and strengths. In May, our team deepened that journey through a talanoa with Sa’uila Dr Sonny Natanielu […]
Bridging cultural gaps for rangatahi in South Auckland
Numerous studies show that colonisation has deeply impacted the identity and worldview of Māori which created a legacy of displacement and widened a cultural gap that continues to have severe impacts on formative development for rangatahi Māori. However, Indigenous Systems Lead of The Cause Collective, Tracey Walker says despite these challenges, Māori exhibit strong resilience […]
Reconnecting to kai and whenua
When did food become a privilege for our people? The question strikes at the heart of a growing disconnection between good, nourishing kai and the people who need it most. This kaupapa is deeply personal for Ngāti Tamaoho Charitable Trust’s CEO Matekino Marshall who sees the lack of good food in South Auckland as a […]
A look at the first three months of 2025 with Healthy Families South Auckland
The first quarter of 2025 is nearly complete, and the Healthy Families South Auckland team at Auckland Council has been busy. Here’s what has been happening: Welcoming new team members Ray joins us as Lead Systems Innovator, bringing extensive experience in strategic leadership and stakeholder engagement, particularly in Pacific health. His recent work with the […]
Does Waipiro have a place in our whakapapa? A korero with rangatahi.
He wāhi tō te waipiro i roto i tō tātou whakapapa / Does waipiro have a place in our whakapapa When we first asked rangatahi of Manurewa Marae about Waipiro, their reaction was almost instant—laughter, surprise, maybe even a bit of shock. Talking about alcohol, especially in this space, isn’t the norm. But that’s exactly why […]
South Auckland parents open up about their kids’ mental health
‘Māori and Pasifika parents are freeing themselves from intergenerational trauma toprotect their children’s mental health.’, a community talanoa held by Healthy FamiliesSouth Auckland (HFSA) uncovered during a community wananga centred on whatnecessary family support structures are needed to nurture young peoples’ mentalhealth. HFSA Lead Systems Innovator, Siliva Togatuki said co-designing an approach to tacklemental health […]
AUT and Healthy Families South Auckland collaboration driving systemic change
The collaboration between Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and Healthy Families South Auckland (HFSA) has seen a new wave of students understand the power of systems thinking. Using a systems change approach and design thinking strategies, AUT students from the Design for Sustainability programme have developed ideas and suggested initiatives to strengthen local food resilience, […]
A year in review – Healthy Families South Auckland (Auckland Council)
In 2024, Healthy Families South Auckland continued its journey of fostering community-led health and wellbeing initiatives, but now as part of Auckland Council’s Community Impact Unit. A new chapter In late 2023, as part of a restructure within Auckland Council, HFSA relocated from The Southern Initiative to the Community Impact Unit. The Community Impact Unit […]
Collective Impact for Healthy Families South Auckland
Healthy Families South Auckland recently opened their doors at The Cause Collective to stakeholders for an Open Home showcase. The event brought together key stakeholders, each playing a vital role in the systems that shape the health and wellbeing of our communities, to talanoa shared approaches to address Systems Change. “At Healthy Families South Auckland, […]
